Film Forum

“The art of losing isn’t hard to master,” poet Elizabeth Bishop famously wrote. A young husband, a beloved aging parent, a passionate but complicated romance – these losses accumulate in a deceptively familiar way for a single mother (Léa Seydoux), who is pulled in every direction to meet others’ needs while quietly attempting to tend to her own. Seydoux (BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR, NO TIME TO DIE) plays the part with the simmering, gently tragic subtlety of a still-ripening woman plucked from the vine too soon. Director Mia Hansen-Løve (BERGMAN ISLAND), for whom this is a personal story, draws each flawed character – a brilliant philosopher/father losing his mind, a sporadically helpful sister and mother, an over-promising married lover – with acute compassion. “Quietly miraculous… an immensely satisfying collaboration that finds both auteur and star further solidifying their spots among the greats of their respective fields.” – Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter  

112 MIN.     FRANCE/GERMANY     SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
IN FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Reviews

“…beautifully balanced, persuasive and moving…a delicate look at a mother, daughter, and lover whose quotidian existence is instantly recognizable yet sublime… A rich mix of complexity and familiarity that the director Mia-Hansen-Løve – and her star, the great Léa Seydoux – subtly reveal in fragments.” 
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“Time passes like a poem or a song, a string of moments weighty with emotion. Seydoux’s performance anchors the film, ultimately rendering it a love letter to the present and to the ways heartbreak and hope intertwine.”
– Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

“Léa Seydoux lights up Mia Hansen-Løve’s excellent new affair. A sweetly affecting tale of a Parisian single mom. Hansen-Løve, whose raw yet ravingly urbane character dramas thrive in the messy spaces where fear and excitement overlap.., This effervescent slice-of-life story, as palpable and alive as a gust of summer air rustling the tree along the Seine (Denis Lenoir’s typically vibrant 35mm cinematography makes sure of that)... An illuminatingly honest sketch. A breezy romantic drama… (with) rich texture. Seydoux’s riveting performance… (an) irrepressible actress. Rich and resonant.”
– David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“(The director) is at her finest. Helped by a luminous performance from Seydoux (who) is transcendent, carrying a sadness that proves incredibly moving. More powerful than the light-touch meditation it initially appears.”
– Fionnuala Halligan, Screen