Mein Ein, mein Alles (My King, Mon roi)
France 2015

Opening 31 Mar 2016

Directed by: Maïwenn Le Besco, Jonathan Hensleigh
Writing credits: Etienne Comar, Maïwenn Le Besco
Principal actors: Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Bercot, Louis Garrel, Isild Le Besco, Chrystèle Saint Louis Augustin

After her ski accident, Tony (Emmanuelle Bercot) lies helplessly in her bed watching others having fun in the snow. She has plenty of time thinking about all the fun she had and all the heartbreak that followed. What happened to her life with Georgio (Vincent Cassel), this gorgeous man? He is the great love of her life. Was it an impossible love? Can one love too much?

When they met it was an “amour fou”, an intense and emotional affair, demonstrating an over-boarding joy. It seemed like a dream. Tony fell head-over heels in love with this witty, exuberant and charming womanizer. She can hardly believe that he too is passionately in love with her. Georgio is drawn to her not only by her good looks but also by her open mind and cleverness. They get married and Georgio proudly holds his newborn son in his arms. He adores him but cannot cope with a crying baby, and the interrupted night's sleep makes him grumpy. Finding a separate little apartment for himself is his solution. It is not surprising that Tony cannot get to grips with her husband's irregular and irresponsible behavior. She feels helpless and angry whilst Georgio cannot understand why she wants to “chain” him. His feelings have not changed. Despite his possessive love for her, responsibility is not a word Georgio understands. He needs his freedom; he needs his fun and does not care for arranged dinners with mutual friends but prefers having drinks with whoever is available. For Tony this roller-coaster love is too much. The relationship goes downhill and – not quite unexpectedly – takes a nasty turn.

The forced respite in the rehabilitation center is a much needed break for Tony. She has to work hard to be able to walk again which offers her a chance to heal body and soul at the same time.

Maїwen has created an intense human drama of beautiful emotions, of deep and careless love. Despite the emotional upheaval, the film ends on a positive note. For her strong performance Emmanuelle Bercot received an award for Best Actress at Cannes 2015. (Birgit Schrumpf)