The Midwife (2017)

A midwife gets unexpected news from her father's old mistress.

Director:

Martin Provost

Writers:

Martin Provost (dialogue), Martin Provost (screenplay)

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Catherine Frot, Olivier Gourmet

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Béatrice Sobo
Catherine Frot	...	Claire Breton
Olivier Gourmet	...	Paul Baron
Quentin Dolmaire	...	Simon
Mylène Demongeot	...	Rolande
Pauline Etienne	...	Cécile Amado - une patiente
Audrey Dana	...	La chef de service hôpital moderne
Pauline Parigot	...	Lucie
Marie Gili-Pierre	...	Evelyne
Jeanne Rosa	...	Élodie
Élise Oppong	...	Sophie
Ingrid Heiderscheidt	...	Hôtesse d'accueil maternité
Jacques Mechelany	...	Francis
Ana Rodriguez	...	Patiente bébé cordon
Karidja Touré	...	Patiente Madame Naja

Storyline

Claire is a midwife in a maternity hospital. She is humane and helpful and gives herself entirely to her patients. But despite that her life is not a bed of roses. Her hospital is about to close its doors and the devoted woman is determined not to work in the new modern hospital she regards as a "baby factory". Her personal life is no triumph either: she is single and does not make friends easily. To make matters worse, her student son Simon is gradually leaving home, as he is developing a relationship with his new sweetheart Lucie. It is the moment that Béatrice, her dead father's former mistress, chooses to resurface. The eccentric, spendthrift, sensual, amoral woman (Claire's exact opposite in fact) is really the last kind of person she needs to mix with. But Béatrice soon informs her that she suffers from brain cancer and she has nobody else to turn to. Torn between rejection and duty, what is Claire going to do?

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | midwife | brain cancer | bicycle | pregnancy | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany] Official site [Japan]

Country:

France Belgium

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 July 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Midwife

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

EUR7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,341, 23 July 2017

Gross USA:

$603,582

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,286,136

Company Credits

Production Co:

Curiosa Films, France 3 Cinéma, Versus Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Catherine Frot actually delivered five babies during filming.

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Connections

Referenced in Breakfast: Episode dated 8 July 2017 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Ma liberté
Written by Georges Moustaki
Performed by Serge Reggiani

User Reviews

Live to the limit

This is a life enhancing film, and I cannot even begin to comprehend why it has been called trashy. Catherine Deneuve gives one of her greatest performances, and a mention must be made of Mylene Demongeot. During the one scene she was in she almost stole the film for me. For those who have never heard of her get hold of a copy of ' The Witches of Salem ' with Simone Signoret and Yves Montand. She stole the film back in the 50's and she can still do it now. But it is Deneuve who shows that she has total control of the film in a life affirming role. She wants to live, and live she does to the limit of her joy and her endurance. Anybody who may think this was an easy role to play and succeed is an idiot. She shows herself as she is now and the beauty, the power of presence and the way each gesture and look of the eye advances the film is a miracle of acting. Catherine Frot is excellent and France has yet another powerful actor and I hope she is given equally good roles for a long time to come. Above all I did not find the film distressing. Life is distressing and the film has the strength of will to show that it can be painful from birth until death. But between these two inevitable events of our lives we live, messily, cleanly, hurting people and being hurt. This illusion that Deneuve is a taker and not a giver in the film is simplistic. She needs a lot from others. She shows it and she gives when she can, and watch how through the force of her nature she releases Catherine Frot from a certain primness; makes her smile, lets down her hair. A great film and the title in English may put off many. ' Sage femme ' does mean midwife, but there is still the resonance in the the French title of wisdom and a wisdom life can bring.