What a delightful surprise it is then, to find that the most romantic country in the world can still produce a subtle love story.

The plot of Mademoiselle Chambon, the latest film by Stéphane Brizé (based on a novel by Eric Holder) is simple. Jean (the great Vincent Lindon) is a construction worker with a loving wife and son, but falls in love with his son’s beautiful teacher Mademoiselle Chambon ( played by Lindon’s ex wife, Sandrine Kiberlain) .

Brizé and Florence Vignon – with whom he co-wrote the César winning script – , are more interested in creating well-rounded characters than offering the audience a tired moralistic depiction of adultery or an idealistic paean to l’amour fou.

By focusing on small but poignant instances in the main characters’ everyday life, the film perfectly captures the sudden but mutual attraction between two people who , while having entered the mature stage in their lives still feel lost-Jean in the unsurprising routine of marriage and Veronique in the loneliness of living on her own. The diverse range of emotions that the characters feel (from happiness, to guilt and uncertainty) is exquisitely displayed by the wonderfully expressive faces of the two marvellous actors and the film slowly becomes one of the most realistic and touching love stories of recent times. Near the end of the movie when you hear, for the last time, the wonderful Valse Triste by Franz von Vecsey, instead of shedding a couple of tears you will feel that rare knot in your heart, the one that only great movies can cause.

Final verdict: A sublime combination of subtle moments and powerful emotions

 (Words: Apostolos Kostoulas)

[stextbox id=”custom”]In cinemas September 23rd.  Click here to see a trailer of Mademoiselle Chambon [/stextbox]

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This is the story of Becca (Doraly Rosa) and Jake (Dan Fredenburgh), two people struggling to deal with their stagnant, obligation-driven lives. Becca cannot bring herself to have a life outside of caring for her boyfriend Chester (Paul Bettany), a former boxer who suffered a stroke and is frustrated by his dependence on others. Jake is dealing with the recent death of his father, his anger at his mother and his own feelings of entrapment in an unhappy engagement. The pair enter into a secret affair fuelled by their desire to break free of their obligations and pursue the dreams they once had.

Broken Lines is a heavy film, make no mistake, but it is also a fascinating story with complex and relatable characters. The genius of the film is that it captures so well the unfair nature of reality. No character is bad, they just want to be happy, but to be happy requires change and change means abandoning someone else. Director Sallie Aprahamian makes good use of contemporary London as a backdrop and has a talent for creating silences that say much more than words could.

Heart-wrenching, powerful and brilliant, Broken Lines will stay in your mind long after you’ve left the theatre. (Words: Beth Downey)  

In cinemas September 30th. 

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You may not be familiar with Hogarth’s engraving series, his most explicit work, showing the life journey of one man Tom Nero and his descent from animal cruelty to eventual murder of another human, but that won’t matter. The story they have adapted is accessible, reverentially humoured and surprisingly relevant for the modern day. They have applied the right amount of lude, crude foulness that is so truly Hogarth and have made great use of original stage direction and propping (the violin case for the horses nose is a particular favourite).

When Hogarth originally made the series it was for the masses; it was cheap, easily understandable. He wanted it to serve as a mirror held up to the grotesqueness he saw in London society of that time. And as you leave the darkness of the theatre you would be forgiven for noticing its immediate relevance to the city streets of ours. A relevant piece of theatre. (Words: Laura Thornley)

On until June 24th.

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