Driving Madeleine is a quality drama with a splash of comedy. Cyril Grey who helped with Chocolat had a hand in writing this as did the director, Christian Carion, BAFTA nominee for 2006’s Merry Christmas.
The story sounds like it’d be a nice light watch, MAIS NON! It’s a dramatic retelling of a woman’s life, played by Line Renaud, a three time Cesar Nominee. Line’s no nonsense ‘don’t cry for me Argentina’ helped keep the dark plot points digestible. Her kind, beautiful eyes and affable demeanor toward her co-star, taxi driver Dany Boon help us tolerate rather gruesome aspects of her past. He’s a seasoned actor, having one Cesar win and three other nominations.
I’m a tough cookie and had already shed rare tears watching my Dad struggling to maintain his pride in the face of stroke repercussions. So, already raw, I certainly kept the showers going by the end of this film.
A theme that has been on my mind much of last year and amped up in this first month of 2024, is, if you’re not living your life to the fullest, you will lose your chance. Driving Madeleine proves once again, that every moment counts AND encounters with kind people are crucial in this sometimes lonely world.
