At The Movies: Other People’s Children
Other People’s Children is a romantic comedy movie from French director Rebecca Zlotowski. It follows 40-year-old Parisian high school teacher Rachel (a radiant Virginie Efira), who loves her life.
She’s inspired by her work and is close to her friends, sister and widowed father. When she meets a man in her community guitar class – the charming and recently-separated Ali (Roschdy Zem) – Rachel commences not only a relationship with him, but also his four-year-old daughter, Leila.
Gradually, Rachel allows herself to be drawn into their world, helping Ali by collecting Leila after school and looking after her on the nights she stays with them; the three start to share holidays together. But there can be no denying Leila already has a mother (Chiara Mastroianni), and Rachel’s yearning for a family of her own is only growing stronger. Loving other people’s children is risky.
Other People’s Children is a charming French movie, that, although at times looks like a TV soap opera, will have you engaged all the while it is on the screen. There is humour weaving in and out of sadness as Rachel chases what she believes is a dream come true in her life.
The acting in the movie is first class and the story line of a love triangle, quite realistic. Virginie Efira shines as Rachel, as her presence is on screen for the entire movie. The story line well written and the movie well directed. You know it’s a French movie by the amount of people smoking in it.
Other People’s Children is a delightful coming of age movie about womanhood that is easy to watch, even if the ending is more real life than Soap Opera.
Movie Review by Geoff Jenke
Other People’s Children – at Palace Nova Cinema’s from 6 July 2023. Advance screenings 30/6, 1 & 2 July.
