Leaving
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sergi Lopez, Yvan Attal
Director: Catherine Corsini
Kristin Scott Thomas stars in this French film about a 40 year old woman living in the south of France - and desperate for a change.
Married to a doctor and with two kids, Suzanne's decided to go back to work as a physiotherapist; her husband gives her the nod and decides to build a consulting room in their backyard.
Cue Ivan (Sergi Lopez) the odd job man who's been to jail turning up on their doorstep.
However, soon after the work begins, the pair find themselves attracted - and unable to fight their feelings.
But what begins as an affair soon engulfs five people's lives - and with disastrous consequences..
Leaving will divide you - personally I felt it's hard to feel too much sympathy for Kristin Scott Thomas Suzanne in this film - she's got everything she needs and clearly is unhappy; but the fault lies within her character rather than the film itself. Robbed of any real context of why she's so miserable in her marriage, until her husband starts to act jealously (as any wronged partner would), she's not really got much in the way of a case for the affair.
And yet, there's an undeniable chemistry between both Suzanne and Ivan - and it's this which makes this film plausible (even if you don't agree with it). Sure, she's got no financial freedom and there's a social comment here with the woman leaving her home for a Spanish blue collar worker but I didn't really feel any connection - or sympathy - to Suzanne's plight.
However, Kristin Scott Thomas puts in a strong performance as Suzanne as her plight begins to affect all around her - and it's towards the end as it starts to really unravel that she finally comes alive as a character and delivers an emotional and powerful performance - which almost makes you forgive the fact she's lied, cheated and slept with someone else.
