[yasr_overall_rating]
A philosophy teacher soldiers through the death of her mother, getting fired from her job, and dealing with a husband who is cheating on her.
Mia Hansen-Løve pulls the rug from underneath you with her latest foray into the human psyche, the quiet-but-ferocious drama “Things to Come.” The young filmmaker – and wife of French auteur Olivier Assayas – seems to have established a unique vision with her previous films, the stylish and deeply personal examination of young “amour,” “Goodbye First Love,” and the neon-lit, energetic “Eden” (read my review here). She abandons the stylistic flourishes of those features in favor of a more subdued/grounded cinematic study, anchored by a tremendous performance from French acting goddess Isabelle Huppert. The film’s borderline-lethargic pace does not lessen its powerful impact.
“Things to Come” is a delicate portrayal of a middle-aged woman dealing with a bad case of Murphy’s Law, faced with a fresh start, both apprehensive of and elated by the sudden freedom. While there’s no pulsating Daft Punk beats to complement her travails, nor is there a slew of twisted perspectives or blurry interludes to enhance the narrative, the film leaves you with a lasting impression, joining the top ranks of incisive French cinematic offerings. Yep, the French know how it’s done.
Huppert plays Nathalie, a philosophy teacher and married mother of two, living in Paris. After a lyrical prologue that takes place by the sea (which, incidentally, happens to say more in under two minutes than the entire “By the Sea” did in over two hours), when things seemed certain and time eternal, the film skips forward a decade. Surrounded by faceless tomes of textbooks, with a discontent academic husband (André Marcon) and a depressed mother (Edith Scob) who calls the fire department at every whim, Nathalie overcomes all obstacles in a zen-like manner. No wonder her book sales are plummeting – the layout/design of Nathalie’s philosophical texts are about as drab as her existence… And yet she seems comfortable, referring to her team as “marketing fiends” and refusing to amp up the colors and covers of her transcribed ruminations.
When things start going terribly awry – her husband announces nonchalantly that he is moving out; her mother dies in a retirement community – Nathalie finds herself stranded without a compass. “I thought you’d love me forever,” she tells her husband quietly upon hearing the news – a somewhat naive and touching sentiment from a philosopher, to whom the term “forever” either means nothing or the world. Luckily, a former adoring student, Fabien (Roman Kolinka, who worked with Hansen-Løve on “Eden”), happens to resurface in her life, infusing it with a tempting, rebellious, anarchist vibe. It’s against that backdrop of a tumultuous, politically active youth-in-revolt that Nathalie has to try to reassert herself. “My husband left me, my mother died,” she tells Fabien wistfully. “I’ve never experienced such freedom. It’s extraordinary.” She doesn’t add that it’s extraordinarily confusing too – but she doesn’t need to, Huppert’s eyes doing all the talking her lips won’t.
“Things to Come” is filled with quiet revelations. At one point, Nathalie reads a passage from her own book that is so heartrendingly true and beautiful, it’s almost difficult to watch – we as audiences are not used to such celluloid honesty. “We are happy only before becoming so” may be the most resonant line of any film out this year. An obese black cat that Nathalie adopts, freeing it from “10 years by her mother’s feet”, embodies Nathalie’s plight: the animal’s instincts kick in and it brings home a mouse. Like the cat, Nathalie’s instincts take a moment to sharpen – she wholeheartedly embraces Fabien’s remote farm, a place where time and age are almost irrelevant… but does she fit in?
Watching Huppert do her thing is always a revelation. Each stance, each flutter of an eyelid communicates a plethora of emotions. Nathalie stands her ground and overcomes life’s obstacles with grace; she is a determined, fiercely intelligent character in search of meaning. When was the last time you saw Hollywood focus on a middle-aged woman’s daily predicaments? Hansen-Løve and Huppert certainly set the example. There are no major conflicts, no pulse-pounding scenes of suspense – it’s the dry wit, the insight and the magnificent central performance that serve as the film’s momentum. Filled with fascinating philosophical discussions about the nature of truth, time and art, at it’s core “Things to Come” is about a woman who has to quickly reassemble her goals, in order to prepare herself for the foggy future. Perhaps it’s time for Hollywood to take note and do the same.
In select theaters Friday, December 2nd
