♦ Love and Forests ***

by Valerie Donzelli

French film, 1 h 45

Known for her whimsical and slightly crazy existential comedies, Valérie Donzelli changes gear with this drama adapted from the eponymous novel by Éric Reinhardt. The enterprise was risky because of the material of the book, the confession of Blanche, a woman harassed by her husband Grégoire, manipulator and pervert. But the execution is successful, in particular thanks to the interpretation of Melvil Poupaud, prodigious, and Virginie Efira, magnetic. Presented at the Cannes Film Festival, Love and Forests would not have had to blush among the films in competition.

» READ THE REVIEW: Cannes 2023: Love under the influence of Valérie Donzelli

♦ The Little Mermaid **

by Rob Marshall

American film, 2 h 10

Far from the cruelty of Andersen’s tale, the new adaptation of The little Mermaid essentially takes up the ingredients at the origin of the success of the animated film by John Musker and Ron Clements, released in 1989, and its rhythmic songs. With a major difference: the film is shot in real shots (live-action), bringing a new dimension to underwater scenes. An aquatic world that fills with wonder and a game full of ardor by Halle Bailey, the African-American actress and singer who sweeps away the controversy over her skin color with a graceful reverse of her fin.

READ THE REVIEW: “The Little Mermaid”: Halle Bailey, Métis Princess of Oceans and Lands

♦ The Smell of the Wind **

by Hadi Mohaghegh

Iranian film, 1h30

Beauty can spring from slowness, such is the masterful lesson of The smell of the wind. In a rural plain of Iran, a mute boy and his father suffering from a malformation of the legs find themselves deprived of electricity. The quest for a casing turns into a poetic epic, moving snippets of life, encounters that punctuate the journey of the technician, played by director Hadi Mohaghegh. An ode to kindness and a tender film, however not accessible to all due to the slowness of the narration and the scarcity of the dialogues.

READ THE REVIEW: “The Smell of the Wind”, a few days in Iran