Film Review
From the little attention it has received, it is evident that
Dans tes bras has suffered from
being released within a few months of Claude Miller and Nathan Miller's
Je suis heureux que ma mère soit
vivante. Both films deal with the same subject, an
adopted adolescent looking for his biological mother, although the
Millers' film is stylistically more interesting and the emotional
turmoil on both sides more palpably rendered. By contrast, Hubert
Gillet's film is a far less polished production, far less sure of
itself, and therein perhaps lies its charm.
Dans tes bras may lack the
professional touch of the Millers' film but it is a slightly more
rewarding piece, its imperfections somehow adding to the realism of the
performances and thereby giving it greater emotional bite.
For his first film, director Hubert Gillet draws heavily on his own
experiences, and this is probably what gives the film its immediacy and
near-documentary realism. Gillet's mise-en-scène is
restrained but very effective, allowing the actors the time and the
space to develop their characters and tell the story, which they do
with great conviction. The narrative is sparse, offering few plot
surprises and very little in the way of explanatory dialogue, yet this
simplicity is what makes the film so authentic and compelling.
Simple awkward gestures - such as Louis' struggle to make eye-contact with his
mother at a funeral - say far more than pages of dialogue and give the
film an appealing true-to-life quality. The film is fundamentally
about characters trying to make contact when they cannot find the words
to express their feelings, so the lack of dialogue is appropriate and
well-compensated for by the perfectly judged performances.
The acting is of a uniformly high standard, although it is Martin
Loizillon who deserves to be singled out for special praise, as he is a
revelation in his debut screen role as the teenager who is determined
to find his true mother. Michèle Laroque is no less
convincing as the conflicted mother and demonstrates that she is
capable of tackling more challenging dramatic parts than the ones she
is usually known for. Perhaps the most poignant performance is
supplied by Catherine Mouchet, who as Louis' adopted mother subtly
mirrors the rejection that Louis himself feels as an alienated
teenager. Lola Naymark is also touchingly convincing as Louis'
girlfriend, the lynchpin character that effectively resolves the rift
between Louis and his mother. Some will doubtless judge
Dans tes bras to be naïve,
perhaps even banal, but hopefully most spectators will see beyond its
imperfections and appreciate it for what it is, an unpretentious and
engaging coming-of-age drama that conveys the pain of rejection with
genuine feeling.
© James Travers 2010
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Film Synopsis
Louis was abandoned by his mother when he was just a few weeks
old. Now aged 16, he wants to know more about his origins, so,
against the wishes of his adopted parents, he heads south in search of
some answers. By chance, he finds his mother Solange working in a
florists' shop. When Louis tells her that he is her son, Solange
refuses to believe him and violently repels him. Unable to
comprehend the woman's reaction, Louis takes a room in a small hotel
next to her shop and makes several more attempts to contact her,
without success. The girl who runs the hotel, Clémentine,
takes a liking to Louis and encourages him to persevere...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.