Caregivers will see themselves in the empathetic ‘One Fine Morning’ movie
There is a moment in “One Fine Morning” where Sandra Keinzler is sitting in a subway car. The city of Paris zips by in a blur, looking like a Monet painting. The car slowly descends from the above-ground tracks into a tunnel.
The scene lasts only a few seconds, but that instant captures the entirety of Mia Hansen-Løve’s movie.
Sandra, played by Léa Seydoux, is a widowed mother of an 8-year-old. It has been five years since her husband passed. Her father is suffering from Benson’s syndrome, which affects not only his memory but his visual and spatial awareness.
Sandra’s grandmother, who makes a brief appearance in the film, is still lucid and living on her own. But she, too, is finding life restrictive, stuck in both her apartment and her aging body.
Best TV, movie scenes of 2022:'The Bear,' Jenna Ortega's Wednesday dance, Rusty Bowers and more
The grandmother remarks that one must never give into pity, or accept it. But always make yourself known. Let people know you are there.
For Sandra, she is not constrained by her body but by her duties as mother, daughter and caregiver.
The bright spot in Sandra's life
The only thing Sandra has for herself is a sudden but welcome relationship with her friend Clément (Melvil Poupaud). The astrophysicist — or "cosmo-chemist," as he describes himself — has lost the spark in his marriage.
He has known Sandra for many years as a friend of her late husband. Sandra and Clément kindle a relationship that was impossible while Sandra’s husband was alive. However, it doesn't seem to bother either of them too much that Clément is married.
Regardless of the morality of Sandra’s relationship with Clément, it is easy to understand why she gravitates to him. Both are seeking companionship and escape as their lives slowly implode.
Hansen-Løve composes a tender story that causes heartache for anyone who has been a caregiver. Seydoux’s performance is spot on with the feelings of despair, grief and longing for release.
Hansen-Løve does not dwell on Clément’s life except when it collides with Sandra’s. We are seeing life through her eyes. She must bear everything herself. Motherhood, daughterhood, being a breadwinner all while being alone. Seydoux delivers a refined yet utterly human act.
More:'Baby Ruby' turns the nightmare of postpartum into a literal horror story
Here's what would have made 'One Fine Morning' a standout
But the most moving performance — and the one that makes the film — is Pascal Greggory as Sandra’s father, Georg.
It was hard to believe he was only acting. Greggory persuasively portrays how a neurodegenerative disease progresses. Georg tries to hide how bad his condition is. The deflections, the slow losing of vocabulary and then meaning — it was beautiful and so hard to watch.
The themes in “One Fine Morning” are familiar: love, loss, loneliness. Hansen-Løve treats them with dignity, allowing the audience to experience Sandra’s emotions fully. Even so, the film as a whole doesn’t pack the punch it could have.
If only the director spent more time with Georg and Sandra and a little less with Clément. Then this film could have been a gem.
‘One Fine Morning’ Three stars
Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve.
Cast: Léa Seydoux, Pascal Greggory, Melvil Poupaud.
Rating: R for language, some sexuality and nudity.
How to watch: In theaters Jan. 27.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ‘One Fine Morning’ review: Sweet but could have been a gem
