Claire Mathon – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MISERICORDIA (NYFF 2024) – Review by Diane Carson

October 16, 2024October 16, 2024 Diane Carson Alain Guiraudie, Claire Mathon, french films, Misericordia, NYFF 2024

Straightforward and entertaining, French writer/director Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia watches as the adult Jérémie returns to his childhood, isolated mountain village of Saint-Martial for the funeral of his mentor Jean-Pierre, a baker of whom he was enamored. True to the cliché that you can’t go home again, Jérémie confronts resentment, rejection, homophobia, and romantic flirting by Jean-Pierre’s widow Martine. Adding idiosyncratic personalities to this microcosm of society are: the outraged baker’s son, once Jérémie’s boyhood friend Vincent; local priest Father Philippe; and long-time resident Walter, Vincent’s quite solitary best friend. All factor into the disappearance of one man and the intrusive involvement of the others.

Festivals Reviews

SAINT OMER (NYFF 2022) – Review by Margaret Barton-Fumo

October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 Margaret Barton-Fumo alice diop, Claire Mathon, Fabienne Kabou, Guslagie Malanga, Kayije Kagame, New York Film Festival, NYFF 2022, Saint Omer

Alice Diop has stated that all of her films “exist at the frontier where [fiction and documentary] meet,” and Saint Omer is no different. In conjunction with her co-writers, Amrita David and Marie Ndiaye, Diop reworked dialogue from the actual court case of Fabienne Kabou and allowed her actresses to perform under minimal direction. She also recreated the space of the criminal court in an adjacent room, adorning the walls with wood paneling in a measure of authenticity. With a cast that includes professional, amateur and non-actors, all of the courtroom scenes ring true to life, with an added drama that ties the film together.

Reviews

SPENCER – Review by Diane Carson

October 25, 2021November 11, 2021 Diane Carson biopics, Claire Mathon, Diana Spencer, Kristen Stewart, pablo larrain, Princess of Wales., sally hawkins, Timothy Spall

As Princess Diana, Kristen Stewart gives a magnetic performance. Most impressive was her ability to capture Diana’s nonverbal subtleties and her verbal rhythms, to communicate her entrapment and then the release of dancing spontaneously, exuberantly. Stewart was asked to dance at the conclusion of many production days, and the editing together of this extemporaneous, free expression conveys what Diana has been suppressing.

Festivals Reviews

PETITE MAMAN (TIFF2021) – Review by Leslie Combemale

September 7, 2021September 11, 2021 Leslie Combemale Céline Sciamma, Claire Mathon, french films, Gabrielle Sanz, Joséphine Sanz, Petite Maman, TIFF, toronto international film festival 2021

Celine Sciamma is the quintessence of female filmmaking. In all her films, she values emotional intelligence, and uses the female lens to examine life and universal truths through stories about women’s experiences and relationships. Her female characters are multidimensional and exist on their own terms, often apart from, or with very little influence from, the men around them. A look here, the touch of a hand there, cooperation in a task together, a verbal exchange where a secret is shared or somehow reveals a character’s fears and hopes, these are her building blocks. With Petite Maman she creates an immersive experience, and one in which most women will see themselves in some way.

Reviews

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE – Review by Susan Granger

March 3, 2020August 27, 2024 Susan Granger 0 Comments Adèle Haenel, Céline Sciamma, Claire Mathon, french films, motw, Movie of the Week, portrait of lady on fire, valeria golino

Celine Sciamma’s sensuous 18th century romantic drama revolves around two women reacting to the pressures society places on them insofar as perceiving marriage as a form of security in exchange for lifelong servitude.

Reviews

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE – TIFF19 Review by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

September 5, 2019December 1, 2019 Alexandra Heller-Nicholas 0 Comments Adèle Haenel, cannes, Céline Sciamma, Claire Mathon, motw, Movie of the Week, Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, TIFF

The manner with which acclaimed French filmmaker Céline Sciamma tackles the notion of the female gaze in Portrait of a Lady on Fire transcends mere cleverness and artistry; she elevates it to something almost mystical.