“One Fine Morning”

Movie Review

Mia Hansen-Love is the writer and director of the romantic drama movie One Fine Morning. Along with Lea Seydoux, it also features Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, and Nocole Garcia. The movie had its world premiere in Cannes' Directors Fortnight section in May 2022. The movie was recognized at Cannes with the Europa Cinemas Label Award for Best European Film.

A translator and interpreter, Sandra Kienzler is a widow with a little daughter named Linn. Georg, her father and a former philosophy teacher, suffers from Benson's syndrome, a neurological condition that impairs cognitive function and eye sight. Georg is cared for by her.

In a park, she runs into Clément, a married chemical cosmologist friend of her late husband's who has just arrived in Paris after a work mission to the North Pole. They organize their meals. Sandra exhibits interest in his line of work and Clément invites her to visit his lab. They kiss each other there. After that, they begin to have an affair.

Sandra is informed that Georg's condition is deteriorating by her mother, Françoise, who has divorced Georg but still provides for him. In addition to having regular hallucinations, he can no longer dress himself or use the restroom. Sandra agrees with her when she suggests that it is time to place him in a nursing home where he will receive the 24/7 care he need. Where to put him causes them problems. A room in a public residence might take up to two years to be vacated, while private properties are too pricey. He is admitted to a hospital while they try to determine his permanent address.

One of Georg's old students, who adores him, runs into Sandra. She offers her information about his illness and her email address so that she can write Georg a letter. Sandra and her family have to clean Georg's book-filled home after his admission. She takes a couple, but then gets the bright idea to get in touch with the previous pupil and ask her to take them.

Georg is continuously talking about his lover Leila at the hospital and is never sure why he is there or where he is going. Sandra observes a change in his condition. He is currently living in a public residence because the hospital can no longer accommodate him. However, the institution offers the family a week to locate him a new home because he is more autonomous than the other residents. They ultimately opt to transfer him to a private residence.

Clément and Sandra's relationship begins to disintegrate since she doesn't want to be only his mistress and he lacks the confidence to leave his wife and son. Clément spots Sandra and Linn's wife's friends when they are in the park, so they instantly leave. They have a conversation at home, and Clément suggests they take a break before meeting up again after he separates from his wife. Sandra discovers a small journal Georg used to record his deteriorating health, along with other notebooks that she recognizes as a rough draft of an autobiography Georg had previously proposed writing, while organizing her home. During Christmas dinner, she informs her mother and sister, Elodie, of her discoveries. She explains that one of the journals included the German phrase "Um einem schönen Morgen," which she translates to French as "One Fine Morning."

Clément informs Sandra over the phone that his marriage has ended. After meeting, they formally begin dating. Summertime arrives. Clément, Linn, and Sandra travel to see Georg. They discuss their journey to Italy. Georg calls out for Leila while claiming he has no idea why he is there or what he is doing. His grandchild and daughter are no longer recognisable to him. One of the nurses encourages them to join a group activity as they converse in his room. Georg joins the other occupants who are seated in a circle, together with Sandra, Linn, and Clément. The group sings the song "Mon amant de Saint-Jean" a cappella after receiving the words. Sandra breaks down and begins to cry. She informs Clément that it is time to go. Sandra, Clément, and Linn make the decision to ascend the butte of the Sacre-Coeur Basilica. They observe Paris as they approach the dome.

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