Just a year after the premiere of Bergman Island at Cannes and 15 years since her directorial debut, All Is Forgiven, Mia Hansen-Løve has once again struck gold with her 8th feature, One Fine Morning, a poignant and intimate film about aging and finding love again that finally gives Léa Seydoux a long-overdue character study that is worthy of her talents.
At center of Hansen-Løve’s latest is Sandra (the always impeccable Seydoux), a widowed single mother with an elementary school-age daughter, Linn (Camille Leban Martins). Sandra works as an English and German interpreter, translating anything from international conferences to a U.S. army veteran’s speech. Keeping with Hansen-Løve’s recurring theme of father-child relationships, Sandra also helps take care of her elderly father, a former philosophy professor named Georg (Pascal Greggory), who has Benson’s syndrome. Due to his increased inability to function, she and the rest of her family — including her mother (Nicole Garcia), her sister (Sarah Le Picard), and Georg’s partner (Fejria Deliba) — have to place him in a care home. While at the park one afternoon with her daughter, Sandra runs into Clément (Melvil Poupaud), an unhappily married old friend. There’s an immediate spark between them, and next thing you know they’re having a full-blown affair. As Sandra grows closer to Clément, opening herself up to emotions she never thought she would be able to experience again, she slowly begins to detach herself from her sick father, who hurts her feelings whenever he is unable to recognize her. As one emotionally unavailable man’s presence grows in her life, the other’s begins to slowly fade away.
Hansen-Løve and Seydoux are a match made in heaven; it’s an artistic collaboration that brings out the absolute best in both of them. Seydoux is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating performers working today, consistently working outside of the box and delivering compelling performances in films ranging from independent dramas like Blue is the Warmest Color and France to blockbuster flicks such as her near decade-long tenure as Madeline Swann in the James Bond franchise. She anchors One Fine Morning and gives what can confidently be touted as her best performance, portraying Sandra with tenderness and empathy while never making it feel as if the audience must pity her. Poupaud is equally charming as a man who is torn between whether he should follow a moral obligation to his wife and son or give his whole, undivided love and attention to Sandra beyond a passionate yet low-key relationship. Together, the chemistry between Seydoux — who, if we’re being honest, could have chemistry with a brick wall — and Poupaud is electric, which is why they make for such a convincing couple that you find yourself rooting for.
What elevates One Fine Morning beyond being a familiar slice-of-life movie is its rich, lived-in quality, capturing brief and mundane moments in the protagonist’s daily life while never dwelling too much on certain events or dragging out conversations. With a 112 minute runtime, it’s swiftly paced and never loses its footing or overstays its welcome. Hansen-Løve’s frequent cinematographer, Denis Lenoir, vibrantly portrays Paris on 35mm throughout its beautiful seasons and brings a realness yet meticulousness to the characters and the film by capturing them as if they exist beyond what is seen on screen.
Even though it has its fair share of sad moments, the film still manages to have moments full of hope and delight. With One Fine Morning, Mia Hansen-Løve paints a profoundly delicate and understated portrait about life and love that features a heartbreaking performance from Léa Seydoux.
