One Fine Morning

French film star Léa Seydoux dazzles the screen yet again in the tender and very moving new romantic drama One Fine Morning, portraying a single mother who is pulled every which way juggling the emotional and physical needs of her family, her daughter and herself. The new film by acclaimed writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve is a superb exploration of nuanced human interaction, complex romantic entanglements and familial obligation and navigating the messy space of adulthood.

Sandra (Léa Seydoux) is devoted to her family. She raises her young daughter Linn solo and she frequently visits and attends to her father Georg (Pascal Greggory). The memory and health of the beloved lecturer, scholar and bibliophile is deteriorating at such a rate that Sandra must contemplate the very difficult fact that he needs permanent care. Sandra, along with her strong-willed mother, Georg’s ex-wife (Nicola Garcia) and her sister navigate the flawed healthcare system in Paris and fight to place Georg in the best care possible – at a price that is financially realistic and one they can stomach.

At the same time, Sandra surprisingly reconnects with an old friend Clément (Melvil Poupaud), a married man with a child of his own, and they enjoyed a jovial dinner which ends in a surprising embrace. The pair embark on a torrid affair, and what begins as a purely physical fling shifts into something more substantial, with Sandra declaring that she won’t be able to play the role of mistress any longer. Fuelled by his newfound love, Clément declares he wants a life with Sandra, but ultimately keeps the audience guessing on whether he can ultimately break up his family and start a new family.

Easily one of the best films of 2023, One Fine Morning is touching and beautiful in its study of two opposing feelings of grief and rebirth, and what it is like to experience both simultaneously. Léa Seydoux delivers a masterful and emotional portrayal of someone who must say goodbye to a parent and provides a raw glimpse of what it is like to mourn someone who is still alive. Normally seen on-screen bursting with glamour, the costuming and styling of Léa Seydoux’s Sandra is incredibly stripped-back.

There are so many stand-out and poignant scenes dotted throughout the film. For me, I liked the commentary on the aged care and nursing home space, the scene where Sandra visits her able-bodied nonagenarian grandmother who imparts sage wisdom about the secrets to health and vitality, and the closing scenes where Sandra summons the strength to let go and accept new love.

One Fine Morning is in cinemas now.

One Fine Morning
In cinemas now
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