French Film Review: L’Amour et les Forêts

This psychological thriller, based on Éric Reinhardt’s 2014 novel of the same name, won this year’s César award for Best Adaptation and by all accounts is a rare instance of the film being as good as the book.

Virginie Efira plays Blanche, who thinks she’s found ‘the one’ when she meets Greg (Melvil Poupaud). Their romance quickly heats up and the couple relocate far from Blanche’s family – and the distance is not just physical, as she finds herself more and more estranged from everyone, even her twin sister, Rose (also played by Efira). Convinced she is simply embracing her new life, she believes herself to be happy – but bit by bit she finds herself trapped by a possessive and dangerous man. As director Valérie Donzelli says: “Blanche doesn’t have a twisted mind… She’s in love with love – she wants to be loved no matter what. She embraces the idea that you marry someone for better or for worse. So, how do you deal with your feelings when things begin to turn sour?”

Partly out of shame and partly out of fear, Blanche doesn’t dare admit her mistake to her loved ones and so must face her biggest challenge alone: how to free herself from a life-threatening relationship. Needless to say, this gripping tale takes some grim turns.

Reinhardt said: “The main challenge in adapting the novel was that the film should have the same impact on female audiences. You needed a hard-hitting film where, once the lights went back on, women would choose to escape their controlling, abusive husbands and take action. Valérie Donzelli and Audrey Diwan have outlined a shining path that I believe many women will walk.”

Director: Valérie Donzelli

Starring: Virginie Efira, Melvil Poupaud, Dominique Reymond

From France Today Magazine