Her Way - Une Femme du Monde

 HER WAY

UNE FEMME DU MONDE

Director – Cécile Ducrocq

Writers – Stéphane Demoustier(collaboration), Cécile Ducrocq(screenplay)

Stars – Laure Calamy, Nissim Renard, Béatrice Facquer

 At the Glasgow Film Festival.

A character piece about Marie (Laure Calamy) putting everything into her effort to get her somewhat lost and apathic teenaged son Adrien (Nissim Renard) into a prestige culinary school. It’s the only thing that really seems to focus him, that brings out his talent. The thing is, she’s a sex worker.

It’s a woman’s film which neither presents choosing to be a proud prostitute as liberating or as wrong. It’s more a portrayal of the trials of work life and what you will do for your kids. Marie is laser focused on lifting Adrien from his awkwardness and self-loathing, but sometimes she resorts to shouting and badgering him too much. Perhaps if she stops on this quest, she will have to clearly face her own shortcomings, which she is not about to do just yet. The fiery pride that emboldens her to protest for her profession also frequently puts her at odds with her son. In fact, her maternal determination which is so admirable also makes her increasingly dangerous to others. 

This mother-son stuff is great, rightly the heart of the film and will hit many chords. Laure Calamy and Nissim Renard put in riveting, believable performances, and that’s where the story’s strength lies. The scene where Adrien is sat down to do a dummy interview with his mother’s transvestite lawyer friend is a highlight, loading with swinging sympathies and perspectives, uncomfortable to watch, and ultimately touching. And this scene shows the film is not frightened of showing casual prejudices: there is also the detail of Marie’s racism mixed with her resentment of competition. These are fully-rounded, complex characters that are venerable and sympathetic but not always likeable and frequently frustrating.

Often amusing, always engaging and flighty, you’re likely to be fully onboard in her plight and his fear of failure that you won’t care if the film starts to reveal more stereotypical beats by the end. But the message that, no matter how much you want to help, the individual still has to find their own way and that determination may not be enough is quietly stated and welcome.