L'Attachement

This film by Carine Tardieu, adapted from the novel L'intimité by Alice Ferney, effectively plunges us into the intimacy of a family, a young couple Alex and Céline and their six-year-old son Eliott. It is a happy occasion because Céline is ready to give birth, earlier than expected, but before leaving for the hospital as a matter of urgency, they ask their neighbor from across the landing, Sandra, if she would be willing to look after Eliott for a while. Sandra thus finds herself, by force of circumstance, having to share her privacy with a young boy, something for which she is totally unprepared. A confirmed bachelor, she is not used to children and even less so to having time to cook. Despite everything, Eliott, who has an easy-going character and is funny with his repartee, will share a frugal meal with his neighbor. Sandra, who has to go to work at her bookshop, will find some comfort with her sister, a mother of several children, who will take over for a few hours.

Unfortunately, Alex will return home alone, following the death of his wife, who gave birth to a little girl, Lucile. Sandra, admirably played by Valéria Bruni-Tedeschi, is sensitive and reacts very quickly, taking Eliott under her wing while the young widower goes to the hospital to pick up his daughter and take care of the paperwork. Sandra is at ease in her world, her books with a rather feminist theme, she talks freely to Eliott who listens to her, he has a pleasant, mischievous character, attentive she feels good with him. This dramatic situation will bring them closer, the young boy will quickly adopt this neighbor and vice versa.

Sandra is the central figure in the film, and manages the situation with some difficulty at times because of her feelings for Alex, who is much younger than her. She could become the new lady of the house and replace Céline, but on reflection, her independence is paramount; she does not wish to become a surrogate mother and wife. She manages to pull herself together by setting limits in the face of the onslaught of tenderness from Alex, this indecisive, weak widower who no longer manages anything, he thinks he has feelings for his neighbor, he no longer knows where he stands. He is interpreted with great finesse and accuracy, sometimes to the point of pathos, by Pio Marmaî.

The days follow one another and are all the same, Lucile the little girl grows up, and we see on the screen the indication of the time passing: 3 months, then 6 months, then 1 year of the child, the trio continues to blossom together. New characters will soon make their appearance in this closed family circle, much to Alex's delight: his meeting with Emilia, who works in the medical field, and David, Eliott's biological father. Emilia, played by Vimala Pons, brings freshness, spontaneity and youth to this family circle that has become somewhat routine and too calm. The script becomes more interesting, more open, the plot more exciting, how will the new relationships intertwine, will the story become more romantic or, on the contrary, more dramatic? Will we have a disappointing or, on the contrary, a thrilling ending to the film, full of surprise or hope?

This production makes us realize that we must enjoy the good moments in life, that friendship and love are essential to move forward step by step in difficult times. The story is a pleasure to watch, without asking too many questions. As the film progresses, we begin to understand better how this family works and the strong bonds that unite them. The film remains quite dynamic, with no flashbacks, no length, several scenes taking place in different places, and there is a certain suspense and plot twist towards the end.  There are some funny scenes with little Eliott, who is so alert, natural and endearing. We go from laughter to tears with ease, and the storyline seems plausible and realistic, as if it could happen in real life. What kind of audience does this kind of film attract? All audiences, but probably a predominantly female audience. The film is 1 hour 45 minutes long, which is a good length.

L'Attachement
Directed by Carine Tardieu
Produced by Antoine Rein, Fabrice Goldstein
Written by Carine Tardieu, Raphaële Moussafir, Agnès Feuvre
Starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Pio Marmaï, Vimala Pons, Raphaël Quenard, César Botti, Catherine Mouchet, Marie, Christine Barrault, Mélissa Barbaud, Florence Muller Marianne, Eric Verdin, Lise Gervais, Nikita Faulon, Laurence Huby, Ike Ortiz, Carine Tardieu, Christine Defay, Sissi Duparc, Erwan Maillot, Izia Le Goff, Olympe Herviaux, Eric Slabiak, François Anastasio, Dario Ivkovic, Jérôme Arrighi, Mélissa Barbaud
Music by Éric Slabiak
Cinematography: Yann Maritaud, Elin Kirschfink
Edited by Christel Dewynter
Production companies: Karé Productions, France 2 Cinéma, uMedia
Distributed by Diaphana Distribution (France)
Release date: February 19, 2025 (France)
Running time: 106 minutes

Seen on January 27, 2025 at the Club Marbeuf 

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