The True Family ***

by Fabien Gorgeart

French film, 1 h 42

Blood ties or daily life shared for years, which defines “real family” is at the heart of Fabien Gorgeart’s film. Anna forms with her husband Driss and their two sons, Adrien and Jules, a foster family for Simon, 6 years old. There is nothing to distinguish the latter in what looks like siblings. The only differences are Anna’s refusal of a tree climbing activity for this little boy placed “under his responsibility” and the accompaniment to mass on Sunday mornings requested by her father, despite herself being an atheist.

Commended for his ” good work “ from Simon, Anna learns from Childhood Social Aid that her father wants to take him back with him. If she knows the purpose of her mission – to take over from the parents for the necessary time – it is a crushing blow for the young woman who has had custody of Simon since he was 18 months old. Since, when his mother died, his father, overwhelmed with sadness, no longer managed to take care of him. It is up to him to accompany this child in this step-by-step return to Eddy, this father he only sees once a month.

A delicately nuanced film

Linear in its narration, The True Family nevertheless appears delicately nuanced, served by the magnificent interpretation of adult actors and impressive children of accuracy. Mélanie Thierry, overwhelming with restrained emotion, and Lyes Salem portray warm parents opposite a Félix Moati with undeniable sympathy in the role of Eddy, although he is reluctantly welcomed by this harmonious family.

After Diane has the shoulders, a first feature film already devoted to the bond between a woman and the child she is carrying for a couple of homosexual friends, Fabien Gorgeart is directing the film he has had in mind for a long time, inspired by his own past. Like Anna, his mother took in a little boy aged one and a half until he was 6 years old, with advice from the institution: “Love this child, but don’t love him too much. » As if everyone could measure their feelings.

The director captures the luminous evidence of a love that has everything maternal. Without judgement, it explores the cataclysm that Simon’s gradual departure represents for Anna, but also for the rest of the family. A sensitive staging and a fine psychology avoid the pathos of a heartbreaking story, reflecting the indelible mark left by a similar situation in the life of Fabien Gorgeart.