This evening, France 4 is broadcasting “Revenir”, a poignant film by Jessica Palud with Adèle Exarchopoulos and Niels Schneider. This family drama, which went unnoticed in theaters, deserves a second chance thanks to its touching story and its nuanced performances.
A back-to-basics story
To come backreleased in cinemas in 2020, is loosely inspired by the novel Love without doing it by Serge Joncour, but takes an even more stripped down and intimate approach. The film tells the story of Thomas (Niels Schneider), a man who returns to his family farm after several years of absence. This return is motivated by his mother’s illness, but it quickly becomes an opportunity to confront the wounds of the past.
There, Thomas finds his father, a hard man with whom he has a conflicting relationship, but also Mona (Adèle Exarchopoulos), the partner of his deceased brother, and their son, Alexandre. Between tensions, painful memories and buried secrets, To come back explores family ties, the difficulty of expressing emotions and the weight of what is left unsaid.
Director Jessica Palud, in her first feature film, depicts with great sensitivity life in a French countryside marked by work and family drama. The film is also a tribute to the rural territory and its landscapes, filmed with poetic realism.
A discreet reception but a film to rediscover
Despite the quality of its production and the strength of its casting, To come back did not meet with a large audience during its theatrical release. With only 44,343 entries in Francethe film went almost unnoticed, eclipsed by more mainstream or media productions. However, it was praised at festivals, notably at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Best Screenplay Prize in the Orizzonti section.
Adèle Exarchopoulos, already awarded a Palme d’Or for The Life of Adèle and currently showing in Phew Love which is a hit at the box office, and Niels Schneider, César for Most Promising Actor in 2017 for Black Diamonddeliver moving and restrained performances here. Their subtle acting reflects the complexity of the characters, each carrying their share of pain and regrets.
