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Former actress Magali Clement's first film as director is a carefully observed picture of the interrelations between a family of women, and the men they surround themselves with. |
Central to the film, as the title implies, is the dynamic Jeanne, who runs a small restaurant/hotel in a country town, wherein also live — all or part of the time — the various members of her family, including small daughters, sisters, and lovers. The creative chaos they generate, augmented by the neurotic contributions of Jeanne's mother and Jeanne's sloth-tike husband-cum-chef, is held together by her remarkable energy and level-headedness, taken entirely for granted by her family. Somethings gotta give — and when the property's new owner arrives and promptly moves into the already cluttered household (a curious French law allows this) his attraction to Jeanne precipitates a complex chain of events.
With great subtlety, Clement draws a range of vivid characters, each driven by their own very individual goats.
Christine Boisson makes a captivating heroine and the impressive ensemble playing of the cast brings the film a refreshingly lived-tn reel.