Overrated and overhyped

A Disappointing Continuation

A different way of telling a story

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

"Elle s'en va" or "On My Way" is written and directed by Emmanuelle Bercot and pretty much as a whole a Catherine Deneuve showcase fittingly for her 70th birthday. She is in almost every scene in the movie and her character is the only one that is truly explored in depth.It starts as we see Deneuve's character owning a restaurant and quickly being fed up with coordinating the whole process. So she goes into her her own form of retirement. Actually, early on, I expected the restaurant background to play a more significant role in the film, but things turned out differently. Unfortunately, aside from Madame Deneuve's good performance, the film suffers a lot in other area. The performances from those who play her daughter and grandson are not convincing at all and many characters are simply too much in the face instead of quietly subtle. As a result of that, quite some credibility is lost. The writing was not outstanding either and constant random changes in Deneuve's mood (positive as well as negative) make it look a bit ridiculous as the film goes on. Admittedly, it would probably have been even worse with another actress in the main role. Deneuve saved the movie to an extent.The choice of music was occasionally spot-on, but sometimes off the mark too, which is a bit disappointing as the score is usually really strong in French films. One of the emotional highlights intended by the makers was probably the road trip with Deneuve and her grandchild, but even here it was not as effective as it could have been. As a whole, I can't really recommend this movie. Only one for French cinema lovers and Deneuve completionists.

This movie takes a classic storyline and puts a new shine on it. Catherine Deneuve's ageless beauty and humanity shine through as she wanders unfamiliar country - geographically and emotionally - searching for herself and finding that and much more. Always important to success in film is putting together a cast that works, and this film is no exception. Where did they find the "farmer"? What a great side story, and it only added to the main theme. Gerard Garouste and Camille were particularly excellent in support. Some of the film's little side conflicts seemed too conveniently resolved; but they served to flesh out the relationships and that was really what caught my interest in the film anyway.

"On My Way" (2013 release from France; 113 min.; original title "Elle S'en Va") brings the story of Bettie (played by Catherine Deneuve), a sixty-something widow who runs a small restaurant somewhere in Bretagne. Things are not well with Bettie: the restaurant is barely surviving, and her love life is in tatters. One afternoon, Bettie leaves the restaurant, on the pretense of getting some cigarettes, but instead Bettie hits the road. In a separate but parallel story line, Bettie's daughter Muriel, a single mom, has a job offer in faraway Brussels, and can Bettie pick up Charly, Muriel's 11 yr. old son, and take him to Charly's grandfather (on Charly's dad's side). Bettie reluctantly agrees. To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: first, this movie is written and directed by French actress/director Emmanuelle Bercot, specifically with Catherine Deneuve in mind for the role of Bettie. Second, I have seen many movies of Catherine Deneuve, and this is yet again a top notch acting performance. Hard to believe that she is 69 years when this was filmed! It comes as no surprise that this role netted her yet another, the umpteenth, nomination for Cezar Best Actress (the Oscar equivalent in France). But kudos as well to newcomer Nemo Schiffman who is outstanding as the 11 yr. old boy. Third, a good chunk of the movie plays out like a true road movie, French style of course. The movie takes us on the back roads of various regions in France, including of course Bretagne, but also the Loire region, and Haute-Savoie. Last but certainly not least, while there is a good amount of "family drama", the movie is also an ode to life in rural France that is becoming more and more out of reach or simply disappearing. Check out the long scene where the entire family is having dinner outside. So French! Bottom line: this movie is an unexpected pleasure which I enjoyed from start to finish. This movie showed up this weekend without any pre-release hype or advertising at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I figure this won't play long so I went to see it right away. The matinée screening where I saw this at today was better attended than I had expected. If you are in the mood for a top quality foreign movie that is miles away from your standard Hollywood fare, and where you get to watch one of the top actresses of this generation, by all means, don't miss this, be it in the theater or on DVD/Bly-ray. "Elle S'en Va" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Meandering but always on target account of Granny and one time Miss Brittany Catherine, exasperated by the problems of her small town life to the point of getting into the car and driving across France, only to get caught up in the dramas of her daughter, needing her to supervise the grandson who she has to shuffle to his already ticked off paternal grandfather - and we end up with yet another out of doors meal.Though it avoids the touristy locations this one is a remarkable non judgmental cross section of 21st Century France, peopled by vivid characters just short of real. Deneuve continues to find vehicles which show off her stellar presence.