Joachim Lafosse has put together a movie that's not easy to endure - which is a compliment, in this case, but also means it's not for everyone.
Damien is an artist who lives together with his partner Leila and their young boy, Amin, a seemingly blissful family life. The problem - Damien is bipolar, suffering from overwhelming bouts of mania, followed by the lethargy of heavy medication. It's fiercely uncomfortable to watch, thanks to the performances of Leila Bekhti and Damien Bonnard, and has such deep rooted compassion for its characters that it's impossible to be left indifferent.
There's little lightness and not much hope for a reversal of fortunes in Les intranquilles, but Lafosse's commitment to the film's reality proves a winning formula. Not one that's easy to forget.
Damien is an artist who lives together with his partner Leila and their young boy, Amin, a seemingly blissful family life. The problem - Damien is bipolar, suffering from overwhelming bouts of mania, followed by the lethargy of heavy medication. It's fiercely uncomfortable to watch, thanks to the performances of Leila Bekhti and Damien Bonnard, and has such deep rooted compassion for its characters that it's impossible to be left indifferent.
There's little lightness and not much hope for a reversal of fortunes in Les intranquilles, but Lafosse's commitment to the film's reality proves a winning formula. Not one that's easy to forget.