Vergissmichnicht (L'âge de raison)
France/Belgium 2010

Opening 23 Dec 2010

Directed by: Yann Samuell
Writing credits: Yann Samuell
Principal actors: Sophie Marceau, Marton Csokas, Michel Duchaussoy, Jonathan Zaccaï, Emmanuelle Grönvold

Margaret (Sophie Marceau) is a powerful businesswoman with the interesting habit of retaining her cool under stress by looking at photos of her female heroes: Joan of Arc, Maria Callas, Ava Gardner and others. On her 40th birthday she is visited at work by a retired lawyer (Michel Duchaussay), who hands her a large envelope. The envelope contains letters Margaret wrote to herself at age seven (when she was known by the less fancy name of Marguerite) and left in the care of the country lawyer and had all but forgotten. As she reads these letters, which are punctuated by lots of fun animated scenes, she begins to question her life as it is and returns to visit the place where she grew up for answers. She has two unpleasant visits with her estranged brother and childhood sweetheart and the past, which she had adamantly rejected, slowly catches up with her.

The French title explains the phase that French feel children go through from ages six to ten. It is a very pleasant film, but it probably wouldn't have worked at all without the talented Sophie Marceau. (Thelma Freedman)