From Thursday to July 17, Malaysians can celebrate the best of what the European country has to offer. Not to be left out, local cinephiles, too, will be treated to a selection of award-winning French films at selected Golden Screen Cinemas outlets.
The lineup this year features up to 21 acclaimed titles including the Celine Dion biopic “Aline, the Voice of Love”; the airplane-crash thriller “Black Box”; last year’s musical Cannes winner “Annette”; and a reenactment of the Fukushima disaster, “Tokyo Shaking”.
Recently, the FMT team was invited to a preview screening of “Proxima”, a 2019 space drama shortlisted as the French entry for the 2020 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
Directed by Alice Winocour, it tells of a mother-daughter relationship that is strained due to an impending separation.
While honoured to join a mission to the International Space Station, Sarah (Eva Green, “300: Rise of an Empire”, “Casino Royale”) fears what will happen to her young daughter Stella (Zelie Boulant) while she is away.
Compounding matters is the fact that Stella has learning disabilities and will likely make few friends while living with her estranged father.
Being a dramatic actor, Green has to carry the bulk of the emotional weight in this film. In one scene, she forces a smile for the cameras after learning that Stella won’t make it in time to hug her goodbye before the mission.
It is a powerful moment that will remind audiences of life’s bitter instances when grief has to be hidden for appearance’s sake.
Also relatable is the tension that grows between mother and daughter as the day of separation approaches. Even for adults, being away from home and hearth is difficult; as a child, having to forge your own path in life without guidance is no easy task.
As a young actress, Boulant plays her part well, depicting how a child would realistically behave when they know they will not be seeing their mother for a long time.
One affecting scene has Stella clinging on to Sarah in a swimming pool, counting down the seconds she has left to spend with her mother.
The astronaut’s daughter is also shown to be a clever lass, learning through observation and querying the risks Sarah will face while in space. It’s nice to see a kid portrayed realistically, being neither a helpless wreck nor an annoying, pint-sized Einstein.
Space and separation
There are no villains in the story; even Mike (Matt Dillon), a seemingly sexist fellow astronaut, turns out to be a capable colleague and nuanced character.
Indeed, “Proxima” is not about heroes and villains. There are no world-conquering baddies to be put down, or a doomsday plot device hurtling towards Earth.
Rather, the conflict is purely internal, exemplifying just how much preparation – physical, mental and emotional – astronauts have to undergo before travelling to the heavens.
It also explores how leaving Earth for science is akin to leaving one’s life behind in death: your loved ones will look upwards and hold to the hope they will see you again.
While the film is generally well done in most aspects, the final 20 minutes veer rather oddly off course. Spoilers ahead!
Against all safety protocols, Sarah sneaks away before her flight to see her daughter one last time. To have female characters let emotions get the better of them is a tired old trope, and it’s a shame “Proxima” continues this unnecessary trend.
This is in spite of a tearjerking reunion between mother and child having already taken place in a prior scene, with both characters exchanging goodbyes through a glass window.
According to director Winocour, this sequence was based on events personally told to her by a female astronaut. Regardless, it would have been better for Sarah to have remained responsible and not risk the success of the mission by breaking quarantine.
Thankfully, this disappointing development does not ruin the movie, though it certainly holds it back from greatness.
‘Proxima’ and other films will be playing at selected GSC cinemas nationwide this and next month. Get more info on the lineup and scheduling here, and find out more about the overall Le French Festival 2022 via its website.