This is one of the rare cases in which the translation of the title of a movie from the original version into English (or another language) has been extremely inspired. ‘L’avenir’, the 2016 film by director Mia Hansen-Løve, was released in English-language markets as ‘Things to Come‘. This is in fact a game of words that refers to the origin of the French word for ‘future’ and expresses exactly the essence of the film. What happens to a woman when her age catches up with her after she has passed the peak, when some of the people close to her disappear in one way or another, and she is suddenly faced with the uncertainties that are called the rest of life, the future , the things to come? If and where can the power of overcoming these obstacles be found: in her profession? in the wisdom of philosophers? in a possible or impossible love? in books or music? in an old, overweight cat? These questions are answered in a dignified and delicate manner in Mia Hansen-Løve‘s film which is featuring the fabulous actress Isabelle Huppert.
Nathalie, the main heroine of the film, seems to have a fulfilled life. She is a philosophy teacher loved by her students at a high school in Paris, satisfied and finding meaning in her profession. She is married for over 25 years to a colleague of profession, their two children are on their feet and have left the parents’ apartment, leaving them to lead a seemingly peaceful intellectual and personal life. Almost simultaneously, however, storm clouds seem to gather from different directions in the skies of Nathalie’s life. The situation of the mother’s health, suffering from dementia, is getting worse. Her husband cheats on her and decides to leave her. Publishers who publish her textbooks are beginning to consider her writing too old-fashioned for the readers belonging to the generations of the Internet. Where will Nathalie find the resources to overcome obstacles, to remain intellectually and socially significant, and how will she balance her personal life?
Mia Hansen-Løve manages to treat the subject with delicacy and precision. Some of the situations in which the heroine finds herself could easily slip into melodrama, but that doesn’t happen. An example: there is a relationship in the story between Nathalie and a much younger former student, that would have been turned into an idyll or more than this in most other movies. Mia Hansen-Løve and Isabelle Huppert resort to a completely different solution, and I leave to those who have not seen the film the pleasure of discovering it. Isabelle Huppert‘s Nathalie radiates dignity and inner light, she has wisdom and intellectual landmarks strong enough to avoid the pitfalls of life and find those things around that will help her go on. The cinematography (by Denis Lenoir) is extremely suggestive, with some beautiful scenes filmed in nature, that manage to put in context and amplify the feelings of the heroine. The soundtrack is also very interesting. Using music as diverse as from Schubert to Woodie Guthrie, Mia Hansen-Løve makes direct and well-punctuated musical comments, in a style exactly opposite to the discretion of the narrative approach. ‘L’avenir’ is a sensitive and optimistic film, ennobled by the participation and exceptional acting of Isabelle Huppert, but there are many more reasons beyond her presence that make this movie worth watching.