Les enfants des autres
Rebecca Zlotowski, France, 2022o
Forty-year-old teacher Rachel is in the middle of life when she falls in love with Ali, a divorcee who is a tender father to his four-year-old daughter. Rachel also grows fond of the girl as her relationship with Ali intensifies. At the same time, her doctor admonishes her that her chances of having a child of her own are dwindling. Is it enough for her to remain a stepmother? And how does Ali feel about his ex-wife, who remains the only real mother for his daughter?
A small discovery is this warm-hearted, at the same time painful film, written and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, who, as a trained screenwriter, has worked her way into the heart of French cinema over the course of ten pervasive years. Born in 1980, the director is the age of her protagonistint, her story of a woman with a family that is not her own is pieced together from countless little vingnets about her heroine's moments of happiness and little stabs at the heart: There the seasoned and respected teacher of difficult teenagers, there the question of her own motherhood and family. The casting of the lead role with the 45-year-old Belgian Virginie Efira, who has long been a constant in French dramas and comedies thanks to her beauty and sincere portrayal of torn characters, is also coherent. Only the last act of the film leaves a question mark. The little drama that is abruptly set in motion does not seem very compelling in view of the clever and intrepid characters.
Andreas FurlerL’élégance, la fluidité sans chichis de la mise en scène de Rebecca Zlotowski, et la combinaison d’un classicisme formel avec un regard contemporain, font tout le sel de cet opus pour le grand écran. Son plus beau à ce jour.
Olivier PélissonUn magnifique et rayonnant portrait de femme auquel Virginie Efira prête sa fraîcheur et sa simplicité.
Céline RoudenUn sujet rarement abordé au cinéma, traité avec une justesse lumineuse par Rebecca Zlotowski.
Jacques MoriceGalleryo
