Partir (Leaving)

Kristin Scott Thomas got a 2010 Cesar Best Actress nomination for her complex characterization of Suzanne a women that gives up her idle bourgeois lifestyle to fully live a passion that consumes her beyond what everyone believe she was capable of and this nominated role is one of the many excellent performances by Scott Thomas where she absolutely steals the film to make it her own.

A very simple story that fast (first scene) builds tension, fully releases passion and slowly goes into a down turn where Suzanne is forced to choose between her previous lifestyle and her passion. This Catherine Corsini film tells about a physiotherapist Suzanne (Scott Thomas) that wants to go back to work, her husband (Yvan Attal) that fixes her a consulting room, and a hired man Ivan (Sergi Lopez) to build the room; but when Ivan and Suzanne meet mutual attraction is sudden and violent.

Perhaps is a little bit unfair but since not long ago I was able to watch another film with similar story I can’t help but to mention that find story more credible in this film than in I Am Love; credibility comes from storytelling style that here since the very first scene sets tone and manner for the entire film to deliver at the end with tension solution and the very-French-cinema open ended finale. But also here there are three very good actors that do an excellent job creating believable and very complex characters, while the Italian film had many more characters, tension and drama was built only with Tilda Swinton character when maybe another characters could have helped to create a more enjoyable, credible and entertaining situation.

Absolutely a film I strongly recommend to those that have to watch everything with Kristin Scott Thomas (like me), but also to those that love very-French cinema with strong compelling, entertaining, and credible story in an emotionally intense turmoil voyage into human relationships where love, passion, attraction, and most of all, cruelty prevail.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC