paul2001sw-1
Kristen Scott Thomas is excellent in 'Leaving', a traumatic but excellent film about the break up of a relationship. Much is acutely observed here: the casually indifferent husband who becomes a monster when crossed; the affair, depicted without moral judgement, that attains unexpected emotional significance because of the previously hidden fault-lines it exposes; the sex scenes, unusually effective, in which much is conveyed through the pattern of breath. Plus there's a luscious (but sensitive) soundtrack, and Scott Thomas's brilliant performance as a woman gradually losing her grip on first happiness, and then sanity. The ending is subtly different to the one first suggested: that it is a happier one is unclear in a dark tale.
stensson
The upper middle-class lady meets worker and a passionate affair takes place. That's not an uncommon theme in our hemisphere, but it's very easy to parodize. Not at least when it's taken so seriously as here.Of course the subject is a serious one, like all love stories are, both on film and in reality. But on film the rules are fairly known. We are aware of the signs, we expect a certain plot and certain things to happen and I'm sorry to say that this film doesn't make us disappointed, Or perhaps that's exactly what we are supposed to be and also are.Don't give us another southern French passion story, until the genre is renewed.
Jonathan Carr
Although this is a simple story it's a powerful illustration of an abusive relationship which leads to tragedy. We all know that many, many marriages are abusive, and financial control of women is a primary instrument for keeping them in line. Since Kristen Scott Thomas is beautiful and fragile (and she is far more attractive in French) we sympathize with her plight as she falls for a man without money and chooses to leave her husband, who is wealthy. The situation brings out the ugliness in them both, and the story proceeds to its horrible end. Hollywood would not have made this, because its not complex enough, but perhaps what the film says is that some aspects of life are unchanging. It reminds us of the feminist mantra that men actually despise women. Germaine Greer has been trying to tell people to remember this fact since the 1960s. It reminds us that power relationships are ugly when people push against them, like Rosa Parks on the bus, or a slave murdering his owner and being hanged for a 'crime'. In fact, this is a disturbing film, looking directly at territory that most entertainment glosses over.
Malke Schmiedeberg
This is one huge subtle heart-breaking performance by Kristin Scott Thomas! She makes this film shine, no doubt, no matter how good both male leads are. She can do it because the script by director Catherine Corsinsi and Gaëlle Macè is concise, psychologically sound and realistic throughout, except for the ending where I see some magic realism. We don't need to know more about the characters than what the script offers. Our sympathy and empathy comes and goes between the 3 characters (and the children!) and our hearts break at the amount of damage that can result – but would not need to if different choices had been made, especially by the husband! – from love. It is a story familiar to almost everyone. Most of us have lived our own similar experience – or at least heard from others near to us. This movie is already in my top ten list of 2010 (why oh why did it reach Argentina only now???) and is the second this year to get 10/10.
AD
