MartinHafer
My score of 4 might be a bit high for this one, as there really wasn't a lot to love about this one. Catherine Deneuve's acting was nice....but apart from that I can't see much reason to see this film.The film begins with Bettie (Deneuve) working hard in her restaurant as well as dealing with a mother she really doesn't like. When she goes for a short drive, however, she just keeps driving...abandoning her business without notifying anyone. Soon, however, her freedom is interrupted when Bettie's very angry daughter calls and demands that Bettie drop everything to pick up her grandson...a boy with whom she's had very little contact. The two then go on a roadtrip together and you are supposed to think they've bonded...but I just thought the kid was in insufferable brat. The biggest problem about this film is that no one seems to like each other very much and the context for all this is missing...as if you've walked in a room with a family you don't know and you aren't introduced. And, to make it worse, you just find that you don't care about any of them. A misfire...with some decent acting.
Kirpianuscus
about family. about the discover of the nuances of past. about ages and links and duty ad a road to yourself. about forms of joy, nostalgia, understanding of reality and humor. special humor. Catherine Deneuve is herself. master of exploration of the levels of role, giving more than a splendid job but a delicate homage to the force and fragility of an age, proposing a trip in the essence of appearances and the way to reconquest the lost time. a film who impress. for the science of director to present, in convincing manner, a story of every day, exploring each significance. for the young actor performance. for the moments of trip. for emotion. and, sure, for the transformation of Bettie. beautiful. and useful.
kosmasp
If there was a blueprint for one, this would tick a lot of boxes (no pun intended). It also includes a young boy, which is always a bit of a risk no matter the genre. But the kid holds his own, which is not an easy task "against" one of the best female french actresses. It's still more about her and her (characters) intention/goal to find herself. That road to self fulfillment is a weird one and will not be to everyones taste, as this drama evolves slowly.But if you are into those things, then you will have a good time (as much as is possible and even through the tough moments of course). You might not always feel empathy or can relate to everything our main character is doing, but her moves do make sense in some weird way. But can you stomach a movie like this?
Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
"Elle s'en va" or "On My Way" is written and directed by Emmanuelle Bercot and pretty much as a whole a Catherine Deneuve showcase fittingly for her 70th birthday. She is in almost every scene in the movie and her character is the only one that is truly explored in depth.It starts as we see Deneuve's character owning a restaurant and quickly being fed up with coordinating the whole process. So she goes into her her own form of retirement. Actually, early on, I expected the restaurant background to play a more significant role in the film, but things turned out differently. Unfortunately, aside from Madame Deneuve's good performance, the film suffers a lot in other area. The performances from those who play her daughter and grandson are not convincing at all and many characters are simply too much in the face instead of quietly subtle. As a result of that, quite some credibility is lost. The writing was not outstanding either and constant random changes in Deneuve's mood (positive as well as negative) make it look a bit ridiculous as the film goes on. Admittedly, it would probably have been even worse with another actress in the main role. Deneuve saved the movie to an extent.The choice of music was occasionally spot-on, but sometimes off the mark too, which is a bit disappointing as the score is usually really strong in French films. One of the emotional highlights intended by the makers was probably the road trip with Deneuve and her grandchild, but even here it was not as effective as it could have been. As a whole, I can't really recommend this movie. Only one for French cinema lovers and Deneuve completionists.
AD
