Leaving

Involving an affair between the upper middle class mother of two teenage children and a Spanish handyman Leaving (2009) is directed by Catherine Corsini and filmed with some style by cinematographer Agnes Godard, famous for her long-running collaboration with filmmaker Claire Denis.

French Poster

Suzanne is bored with her life in general and her marriage in particular, she persuades her wealthy doctor husband to renovate an old building located in their garden as a consulting studio allowing her to return to her former profession of physiotherapist. One of the builders employed by her husband to work on the conversion is Ivan an ex-con with a small child back home in Spain he rarely sees. Suzanne and Ivan develop a sexual relationship that drives a wedge straight through the heart of her family.

Following other recent award winning roles including Mimi, John Lennon’s Aunt in the British movie Nowhere Boy (2010) and Juliette Fontaine, released from prison after serving 18 years for murdering her son, in I’ve Loved You So Long (2008) 50 year old Kristin Scott Thomas, who has lived in France for most of her life, puts in a wonderfully convincing and passionate performance as Suzanne. Ivan is played by Sergi Lopez who you may remember as Captain Vidal the villian in Del Toro’s Spanish fantasy film Pans Labyrinth (2008). A good quality French middle-class soap opera.