Driving Madeline

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https://rialtodistribution.com/film/driving-madeleine/

22/06/2023

Every now and again a film comes along that just makes you feel a better person after sharing in the character's lives. Driving Madeline is one of those films.

It offers a clever story and superb script writing - after falling down the stairs six months ago, doctors have determined that the 92-year-old Madeline can no longer live alone. But before she is placed in a nursing home, she takes one more trip down memory lane, provided Charles her taxi driver doesn’t mind making a few detours on the way to her ultimate destination.

What follows is a surprisingly subtle, sweet, and absorbing drama whose narrative and melodramatic backstory might not initially be everyone’s cup of tea, but will eventually win you over.

Director and co-writer, Christian Carion strikes just the right tone in a tale that could have been either way too sentimental or overly saccharine. A lot of the success of the film though belongs to a trio of performances that lingers after you leave the cinema.

Now in her eighth decade as a performer, Line Renaud is simply wonderful as a woman reminiscing about the highs and lows, heartaches, and loves of her multi-faceted life. Whether it’s the kisses of her American soldier boyfriend or a violent act that both liberated and limited her, Renaud sells it all with her bravura performance aided by Alice Isaaz’s work in bringing those scenes to life as the younger Madeleine.

Then there’s Dany Boon. Best known for his broad comedic performances (he’s currently starring on the small screen opposite Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in Murder Mystery 2), Charles offers him few laughs, but more importantly,  he brings humanity and depth to a character who could so easily have been simply one-dimensional.

Alice Isaaz  is known for her roles in the films The Gilded Cage (2013), La Crème de la crème (2014) and Les Yeux jaunes des crocodiles (2014). She gives the younger Madeline a complex rendering giving Renauld detailed material with which to work.

Don’t be fooled though, this film is no Driving Miss Daisy. It offers a few more dark detours and jolting bumps than you might expect.

Driving Madeline is compulsive viewing for any discerning movie lover. Five stars are just not enough!

Reviewed by Barry Hill OAM