One Fine Morning Review – Captivating, Soul-Stirring Performances

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Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film

Published on Thursday, 08 December 2022 08:48

Written by Janet Walker

One Fine Morning, from SONY Pictures Classics, brings to the screen a story of loss, life, grief, and new beginnings as we walk through a year of upheavals, unimaginable heartache, passion, while understanding the difficulties of healthcare disparities.

The film begins with Sandra, played by Lea Seydoux, trying to instruct the person on the other side how to open the door. It is clear he is having some difficulty with coping. Once she enters, we realize the man is her father, Georg, played by Pascal Greggory, is at a place where he can no longer care for himself.

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Once a noted philosophy professor, who questioned the world's thought leaders and caused his students to challenge the contemporary ideals, is now without his greatest tool, and his daughters, Sandra, and Elodie, played by Sarah Le Picard, are forced to make the unimaginable decision of removing him from his home, and everything that once was his stage, his presence, and placing him in a care facility.

Along with his home health aide, Leila, played by Fejria Deiba and his ex-wife, Jacqueline, played by Jacqueline Hansen-Løve, the decision is made. From here we understand the healthcare system, in any country, can be filled with caring, concerned, and dedicated professionals and conversely those who lack empathy. We follow George through several facilities until his family finally finds one where he appears to become functional.

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Throughout this same time, Sandra, who is widowed, and raising her daughter, Linn, played by Camille Leban Martins, alone, is once again brought to a place of grieving. Even as her father has yet to physically die, his diagnosis of Benson Syndrome, a form of Alzheimer's has sentenced her life, memories, and moments, to death as she soon becomes only a visitor.

At this time, she happens to reconnect with an old friend Clément, played by Melvil Poupaud, the father of her daughter's friend that she hasn't seen in a while and, although he's married, their friendship soon blossoms into a passionate affair.

As life had unexpectedly closed the door to any emotional bonding, Sandra is trying to allow herself to love again. As she and Clément grow closer, their affair becomes more than encounters in the night, and the risk of commitment and the potential of loss scares her.

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Her father's deteriorating mental state has brought her mother back into her life, and the two and her daughter are reconnecting and repairing the bridges. As both she and her sister have children, the holidays and all the special traditions that keep the enchantment of the season alive are important and as we see the breech the illness brought into their lives is bridged by the happiness of enjoying the time with their mother.

One Fine Morning a beautiful and poetic ode to life, as the sorrow and tragedy give way to fullness and hope. Walking with Sandra, we understand her feelings, her anguish and heartache and we hope for her when she is given that rare glimpse of renewal.

With soul-stirring performances, One Fine Morning opens for a limited engagement in select cities, December 9, 2022. See it.

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Country: France.

Language: French with English subtitles.

Runtime: 112 minutes.

Director: Mia Hansen-Løve.

Producer: David Thion, Philippe Martin.

Writer: Mia Hansen-Løve.

Starring: Léa Seydoux, Pascall Greggory, Melvil Poupard, Nicole Garcia, Camille Leban Martins, Sarah Le Picard, Fejria Deiba.