“Other People's
Children”
Movie Review
Other People's
Children is a French drama film directed by Rebecca Zlotowski and starring
Virginie Efira, Roshdi Gem, Chiara Mastroianni, and Callie Ferreira-Gonsalves,
released in September 2022. This tragic comedy tells the story of a middle-aged
teacher who enters a new relationship. This creates a close bond with her
partner's young daughter.
Rachel is 40 years
old, single, no children. She works as a middle school teacher, has a large
circle of friends, and keeps in touch with her ex-husbands. She takes guitar
lessons and is happy with her life. One day, she falls in love with Ali and his
four-year-old daughter Leila enters her life. Rachel takes care of the toddler,
cares for her, and soon loves her as her own. But she must realize that a close
relationship with Leila carries risks, especially with her mother Alice. Rachel
doesn't want to put up with being an "extra" in Leila's life. Time is
working against her if she is to fulfill her desire to have a child of her own
even at this age.
Director Zlotowski's
'Other People's Children' is a mature reflection of love as the childless
Rachel falls into the arms of recently divorced Ali, played by Roshdi Gem. Set
in Paris, with the Eiffel Tower shimmering in the background, this story plays
out, though Rose-tinted romantic feelings are thrown into sugar. At its core,
Other People's Children is not just a story about a couple, but another person
entirely: Ali's five-year-old daughter Leila, played by Callie
Ferreira-Goncalves.
Rachel immediately
warms to her, taking her title of "Leila's stepmother" as seriously
as she does "Ali's girlfriend." Zlotowski's camera draws the trio
closer as they get closer, their cozy evenings and weekend getaways
establishing the family unit. Any concern for Leila's parental instincts turns
to blind panic when Leila disappears for a moment into the crowd. Her
motherhood evolves through troubled 16-year-old student Dylan, played by Victor
Lefebvre, who speaks more like a parent than a teacher, scolding him for not
wearing a coat, but defending that his grades are failing. Othe People’s Children
expressing the fear of losing the "collective experience" of
motherhood without misogyny, should never stoop to seeing a childless woman as
incomplete because she has no children of her own.
After a brief hiatus,
her doctor warns of a "ticking clock" and Rachel feels she will
"always be extra" in her life. Zlotowski's humble portrait frames
motherhood not simply as child-rearing, but as part of a communal
responsibility for development. When another mom, Rachel, spills a juice carton
before Leila looks down at her empty hand, it's not seen as a failure, but as a
support system. Efira's enigmatic performance, with her face framed in
practically every shot, is also the grounding for such contemplation. Rachel's
desire to fulfill gender expectations stacks the odds against a cheerful score
and swelling orchestra that evokes a woman's anxiety about her future paths,
reminiscent of the world's worst person.
Efira lets Rachel's
emotional narrative shine through in one scene. "She's just like
you," says a passerby, looking between Rachel and Leila. Leila is
unharmed, but Rachel's smile falls for a moment, her caring gaze locking on the
child before her smile grows back. This is one of the many instances in which director
Zlotowski and his actors create quiet inner conflict without ever pushing for
drama. Instead, has a gentle sense of peeling back the layers of life to reveal
something utterly timeless and tangible.
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