CLAIRE DARLING is a fine new French film staring Catherine Deneuve and her real life daughter Chiara Mastroianni. The film has been directed by Julie Bertuccelli.

The premise is an intriguing one, It is played out in an enigmatic and non naturalistic fashion. Deneuve plays Mrs Darling, a very wealthy ageing woman who wakes up one day convinced that she will die that night. She decides that she will have a massive garage sale. Precious possessions, classic paintings, countless priceless antiques are all put out in her front yard for people to rummage through.

Money isn’t an issue for her and Mrs Darling accepts whatever money is offered. Word gets back to Mrs Darling’s daughter Mary and she  rushes back to see for herself what her ‘mad’ mother is doing.The film is mesmeric in style. We are never quite sure what is happening.  Is Mrs Darling having a nervous breakdown? Has her life been so painful that she wants to reject everything, let everything go. How long has this been building up?!

When Mary comes on the scene, the stakes are raised even more as  tension grows mother and daughter.  We see the nature of their relationships with plenty of flashbacks to earlier times in their strained relationship.

Bertuccelli’s film is beautifully made as one would expect of a film that brings one of France’s most legendary actresses to star with her very own daughter.

To  cap things off, the film ends with a lyrical, breath taking scene.

CLAIRE DARLING is well worth a visit. The film opens in cinemas this Thursday 20 June, 2019.

 

 

 

Go see!