For a Woman (2013)
Starring: Benoît Magimel, Mélanie Thierry, Nicolas
Duvauchelle, Sylvie Testud, Denis Podalydès, Julie Ferrier, Clotilde Hesme,
Clément Sibony
Plot: The story of the marriage between Michel and Lena, as
told by their daughter Anne, with reflections on the mystery of abiding love.
My Review and Thoughts:
I enjoyed this heart touching film of love and a deep
mystery of the past. I felt the film captured the emotional reality of life and
all its secrets. The love affair between Jean and Lena is truly a touching and
heartwarming experience. The chemistry between Nicolas Duvachelle and Melanie
Thierry is magical and makes you feel the love and the thick story atmosphere
of the past as it unfolds in all its dramatic reality. All the actors make you
believe in their parts and gives a true shinning understanding and reality to their
characters.
I feel this is an overlooked and very beautiful film that
should be seen and experienced and given the love it deserves. A mix of
realistic drama with touches of comedy and a reality based growth of
relationships and the struggle of grown kids trying to understand where they
came from after their mother has passed and the story unfolds. After Anne’s
mother dies she discovers old photos and begins her journey of writing her
parents life and struggle. Anna has a unique imagination and a flare to her
stories.
This is a trip into the past and the present of trying to
understand one’s life journey. Anna discovers her parents (Lena and Michaels) life’s,
might not be as simple as she thought. The story takes place in 1945 after the
war. Lena and Michal apply for French citizenship. Lena soon gives birth to a
baby girl. Soon Michal learns that his brother Jean who fought during the war
is still alive which they both thought he was dead.
The story unfolds in wonderful dramatic fashion as all the
secrets come to pass and the story ends up becoming a mixed genera of film.
From love, drama to war time and the idea of finding the past all play a key
role in this wonderful dramatic and touching film. This is for lovers of
storybook type films. This is about thinking of the past and all the soap opera
type reality of life’s struggles and changing moments throughout life.
This is written and directed by Diane Kurys. Some have
stated this is based on true events. It’s not, what it is, is Kurys took the
idea from some old photos she found and the reality that her real father always
stating, he was always angry with his brother and that they never talked. Kurys
had heard rumors that possibly her mother had an affair with her father’s
brother adding a somewhat tension between the relationship and so what Kurys
did was imagine the story of what might have happened. That imagination created
a wonderful odd somewhat auto-biography by the director and the writer Diane
Kurys. She started out as an actress but got her real passion and voice through
writing and directing. Many of her films are auto-biographical or adding
somewhat parts of her life into her films, such as her first film she wrote and
directed 1977’s Peppermint Soda which was about her childhood with divorced
parents and her relationship with her sister.
This stars the very beautiful and sexy Melanie Thierry as
Lena. She has a natural talent at creating her characters in believable ways.
Also starring the very sexy and handsome Nicolas Duvauchelle as Jean the
brother and man of secrets. He is such a talented gifted actor that is able to
make you understand and believe his performances. He is mostly known for the TV
series Braquo playing the character of Theo Vachewsji for 17 episodes. He is a
truly talented man that I feel is an award worthy actor and his part of Jean is
amazingly done. You experience his mysterious past and present all the while
falling in love with him and his persona on screen. Also starring the wonderful gifted Benoit
Magimel as Michal. He has always caught my attention as an actor as I have
watched his career expand and grow and become a part of cinema in many films.
From the role in 1995’s Masterpiece La Haine, to the wonderful 1999 The
Children of the Century which is also written and directed by Diane Kurys. To
his performance in the extraordinary 2001’s The Piano Teacher to anything he
does big or small he masters the roles and owns each one of them. He does truly
an amazing job in For a Woman.
Soon Michal and Lena learn there is more to the story of
Jean then they know. The brother has a past and now that past is getting
everyone involved. This film is a wonderful mix of many emotional realities of
the past and the present, from the sparks of love, to war, to mystery and
family dynamics and relationships.
A wonderful film that shines in the character study of
emotions and also of finding the secrets and lies and somewhat cover-ups of
family dynamics
.
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