Review of Mademoiselle Chambon

Sort of like a Gallic version of Brief Encounter, the story centres around the romance between a carpenter and a school teacher in a small, bucolic French village. Jean (played by Vincent Lindon, from Welcome, etc) is a happily married family man. During a visit to school to pick up his son, he connects with his teacher Veronique (Sandrine Kiberlain), and an instant and mutual attraction develops. Jean helps build a new window in her home, and is entranced by her love of music. She was once a promising violinist before becoming a school teacher. But as the romance grows more serious, Jean learns that his wife (Aure Atika) is pregnant. He is faced with a difficult choice – love or family first? Mademoiselle Chambon is reminiscent of the films of veteran Eric Roehmer with its languid pace and visual style. Stephane Brize directs in a slow and restrained manner that accentuates the rhythms and banal routine of everyday life for these ordinary people. The film unfolds with lots of silences that build atmosphere, and it is filled with a sense of longing. The performances of the two leads are excellent and they bring plenty of emotion and depth to their characters. The fact that Lindon and Kiberlain were once a real-life couple brings a dramatic frisson to their on-screen relationship and there is a great rapport and chemistry between them. Kiberlain apparently also learned to play the violin, which lends credibility to a few scenes. Atika is also very good as Jean's wife who suspects that there is something troubling her husband. For lovers of sophisticated, intelligent and subtle French dramas, Mademoiselle is a real treat.