Review of Grand Jeté (2023)
Grand Jeté is a film that explores the complicated, sometimes messy nature of motherhood and the emotional weight of choices. It tells the story of a ballet teacher who, in pursuit of her career, becomes estranged from her son, leaving him to be raised by her mother. Years later, when they meet again, their relationship becomes increasingly intense, leading to a bond that crosses the line between a mother's love and something darker.
As I watched the film, I couldn't help but feel unsettled by the growing connection between mother and son. The way their relationship shifts is disturbing but undeniably human-two people trying to reconnect after years of separation, but in a way that feels more like an emotional affair than the reunion of mother and child. It raises difficult questions about love, guilt, and the blurry boundaries between what is acceptable and what is not.
The mother, trying to balance her passion for ballet with the need to care for her son, is deeply flawed but relatable. Her struggle is palpable. She loves him, yet her actions reveal a selfishness, a detachment, even in the midst of wanting to make up for lost time. Her son, now an adult, is caught in the middle, confused by the affection that feels too heavy, too intimate for what is supposed to be a motherly bond.
I think what the movie does best is show how complicated relationships can be when people try to reconnect after years apart. But honestly, I couldn't shake the feeling that the film was too subtle at times, leaving me wanting more depth in their emotional journey. It was hard to fully connect with the characters, especially when the emotional tension felt more uncomfortable than moving.
While the idea of a mother and son becoming emotionally entangled like this is disturbing, it does shine a light on the psychological complexities of love and desire. It's not a story of pure affection-it's about what happens when love becomes suffocating and boundaries get blurred. I won't lie, I felt conflicted watching it.
Overall, Grand Jeté is a film that sticks with you, though it's uncomfortable and at times hard to watch, where a son develop unconscious emotional or romantic feelings for his mother.
