When a middle-aged midwife, Claire (Catherine Frot), is contacted by the former girlfriend of her father, Beatrice (Catherine Deneuve), her initial inclination is to have nothing to do with her. After Beatrice left Claire’s father he committed suicide. But it turns out that Beatrice has a brain tumour and Claire agrees to let her back into her life.
This is a study of a woman trying to come to terms with how her life is changing. The hospital she works for is closing down, her son is about to become a father, and she is tentatively starting a relationship with a man who has an allotment next to hers.
It is stately stuff but it is made more than watchable by the performances of Frot and Deneuve. Their relationship feels natural and they resist any attempts to mine the story for sentimental moments. The story itself plays out with few surprises and could almost be considered soapy but those two fine actresses elevate it beyond that.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10