This Is My Mother

In Agnès Jaoui's cinematic persona, there are always two hidden characters: the composed and the turbulent. Her career is built on the imperceptible transition between them, with an effect that can be comic or dramatic. The triumphant drama This Is My Mother makes major use of this persona. At its center is Pierre, a young man who is forced to change direction when his mother - who suffers from bipolar disorder - shows up at the family home. As much as he is interested in his flower shop, the reunion with his mother takes him to new realms. "Julien Carpentier films the painful and tender reunion of a mother and son. Jaoui plays on a tightrope. Lebghil no longer makes us laugh. He squeezes our hearts" (Le Figaro).