(There currently isn’t an official trailer – that’s how exclusive this film is.)

Saving my in-depth analysis for my favourite film that I saw at Cannes.  I need to stress that there were many great films that I didn’t get to see – this was the best of what I saw. AFTER LOVE for me typified what I love about European cinema and cinema in general. A window opened to experiences in life that we as the audience may or may not have experience but contain emotional resonance in which we can relate. In the spirit of togetherness, let’s explore what can happen when we grow apart.

Encompassing a naturalistic style with more than a passing resemblance to the quietly devastating work of Asghar Farhadi (the two shares the same lead actress – Bérénice Bejo – doing her best work in this and THE PAST) AFTER LOVE is an emotionally fraught, expertly directed exploration of a couple (Marie and Boris) in marital crises. Starring Bejo (The Artist, The Past) and Cédric Khan (Red Lights) and filmed almost exclusively in a beautifully designed apartment – the claustrophobic confines adding to the heady tension of being trapped, in this case, in a toxic marriage – AFTER LOVE stand out in its observation of love (and what happens when it’s gone) as an almost antithesis of Hollywood platitudes.

While similarly genred films tend to focus on children as the emotional anchor that makes it hard for peaceful resolution; money is the key factor here. Their twin daughters are indeed important, and are sometimes caught in the crossfires of their parents’ warring, but the grownups real choice of warfare is money, more precisely the lack of it. Their financial situation and escalating tug of war regarding the home they built together becomes the symbol and source of their emotional imprisonment.

The focus on finance is an interesting and fruitful angle from which Joachim Lafosse (Our Children) expertly mines – we all can understand how pervasive the need for financial stability and the continual struggle for it can poison everything; the mind – Marie takes pills to cope with the stress of it all; the body – Boris becomes embroiled with dodgy figures who hang outside the periphery of their (safe) house.  After finding himself owing them money, the inevitable happens; and soul -these two very angry individuals, let spite seep in affecting all those close to them, not just each other.  The intricacies of their money problems also encompass a wider reflection of society – their disintegrating relationship becomes a societal microcosm – scrutinizing class difference, career prejudice and gender politics.

Yet, the characters are so richly drawn and expertly acted that the audience can’t feel anything other than sympathy for their situations however unlikable each are at any moment. For every  instance Marie dedicates to aggressively trying to nag Boris out of the house; there’s still a reserve of sympathy for her when Boris rudely invades a quiet evening with friends with particularly obnoxious nonchalance, that makes for one of the most excruciatingly uncomfortable but utterly realistic scenes in cinema this year. Despite it all you feel for both because within all these acts of animosity and pettiness (of which there are plentiful) the residual love they have for each other is palpable. While their failing marriage has disintegrated into discord bordering on hate, the audience never wonders what brought them together in the first place, we just marvel at how far this couple have fallen.

Much of the fascination of watching these two is drawn primarily from the excellent script co-written by director Lafosse with (three other contributors) as well as committed accomplished performances from the two leads. Despite my praise for Bejo in this, I feel that – with the exception of The Artist –  she’s essentially variations of a the same perpetually angry woman. Suppose it’s a case of that old adage, (with a bit of a french twist) “on ne change pas une équipe qui gagne” She’s perfected her persona here adding layers of grief and regret that is harder to source from her roles in The Past and more recently Childhood of  A Leader (albeit one brief scene). Cédric Khan, whose name I’ve only known through directing and screenwriting credits and not through acting (although I’m aware he’s in The Anarchists which is at the top of my Amazon Prime queue) is more than comparable Bejo. Carefully maneuvering between insouciance (much to Marie’s consternation) and belligerence, Khan’s Boris embodies both why and how Marie would fall in love with such a man and fall right back out – a marvelously constructed character wonderfully portrayed.

A modern twist on the classic melodrama, the script demands the audience dissect what is said to understand the what is really meant. Through all the histrionics there is a deeper story to be found. Even the fight for their home has deeper meaning – it is really a fight to keep the memories and the life they once had.  The finger-pointing stresses the need to find blame in each other for what went wrong and the frustration of no clear cut answer. The constant blowups bring to the surface brewing resentment that suggest the break-up may have been an inevitability long before it happened. There is a level of ambiguity concerning the couple’s journey to its current state – we never know who specifically is at fault for the separation but the finger is lightly pointed to one of them more so than the other – with the audience trusted to make inferences that encourages a similar thrill to watching a really good tennis match with the ball being your allegiance; you never know who will win your favour.

Strangely thrilling (in the sense that there is no real action) AFTER LOVE is remarkably contained and thoughtful piece of drama that would certainly appeal to audiences who enjoy the work of Asghar Farhadi (who’s The Salesman was a late contender for the Palme D’Or) and modern takes on ordinary lives (Two Days and Two Nights). Recently picked up by Curzon/Artificial Eye, UK readers please look out for AFTER LOVE in the release calendar in the next coming months.

A slightly different review (written by moi) is also available here