Los hijos de otros

Terribly heartfelt and poignant at expressing what it's like to want something that you cannot have. It goes on one step further to tell what it's like when everyone seems to be taking that for granted and seems to be getting that one thing easy.

Embodied through Virginie's character, the metaphor of not having a child symbolises much more in our daily lives, a longing for the mundane things that some of us just cannot have. The film leaves and open slate for us to fill with what those mundane things are that we see others get so easily that we seem to not be able to get.

The movie also tells us about how cyclical this process is and even how sometimes we never get those things but just stay watching what we want drift away as we look on sadly.

To whoever that thinks the movie is a romcom it only means one thing, is that you did not get the movie.

I studied cinema, and the movie is more dramatic than romcom!

The movie is quite simple but with deep meanings. It's main focus is parenting. Is it a need to be a parent? Should we all become parents? Where does the need and/ or the feeling comes from?

Virginie Efira (Rachel) performance is great. Rochdy Zem (Ali) performance is just fine. The kid (Leila) performance is outstanding.

I being a pansexuel cis-man, only daily basis I feel like Rachel. I worked with kids and I loved it. When I met the child of a friends of mine and we get along, it makes me happy.

I know I want kids, I want them. Why? I can't answer to this question. But could we all have kids?

It might be easier for a woman to get a child without having a partner, not the case for men. And adoption is a very complicated procedure in most of the countries discriminating those who desire to be single parents.

For a lot of people, women not being able to get pregnant falls into the category of first world problems. And I'll admit that I haven't given much thought to that scenario, having the luxury of 1.) being a man and 2.) having a wife who was able to easily conceive exactly when we decided to have children. So for someone like me, "Other People's Children" does a pretty good job of personalizing what it feels like for women who feel the child-bearing window of opportunity closing. It also explores how callous the world can feel to those women, and how much the world of parenthood is taken for granted by those who didn't struggle to enter it.

That said, this movie is missing something that would have made it really memorable. There's nothing wrong with it, but I see it fading into the background quickly, and I doubt I'll give it a second thought when I'm looking back at the movies I've seen this year. Virginie Efira gives a lovely performance (and reminded me at times so much of Stockard Channing), but her performance would be more memorable if the movie around her was stronger.

Grade: B.

"Other People's Children" is a French drama exploring motherhood's complexities and family dynamics. The film follows Rachel, a high school teacher who falls in love with Ali, who is separated from his wife and has a young daughter. The movie starts with a romantic image of the Eiffel Tower at night, which sets the tone for the dreamy and idyllic opening moments. However, the film quickly delves into the bittersweet reality of the characters' lives, with unarticulated tensions and inconvenient desires.

The acting performances are outstanding, with Virginie Efira delivering a radiant and beautiful portrayal of Rachel. The film also features smart, self-aware, and complicated female characters, which is a refreshing change from the usual tropes. The direction is solid, and the cinematography is beautiful, capturing the essence of Paris and the characters' emotions.

Unfortunately, the lives of the supporting characters are not as well-developed as Rachel's, making them feel two-dimensional. And the story takes a conventional turn towards the end, diminishing its uniqueness.

"Other People's Children" is a heartfelt and modern love triangle exploring motherhood and family's joys and pains. The film sneaked up on me with a depth and complexity of feeling that resonated. While it has some flaws, it is still a solid movie worth watching.

... this is a film should you not feel much for what her character goes through, you'll miss the point of lots of really good acting skills and very good movies in addition

... she has such range, they both do... matched together they give one of the really great film productions of 2022... lots going on onscreen, and all of it you feel so directly, even though you might never have been a part of any of it... as said, they're always good, this is one film that must be watched again, and it will loose nothing in more viewings.. a timeless work by great actors of today... still having many years-works remaining in their careers.