All Your Faces

A major problem with the criminal justice systems in assorted countries - including the United States - is that they emphasize punishment over rehabilitation; one might say that these are criminal injustice systems. I don't know how it works in France, but Jeanne Herry's "Je verrai toujours vos visages" ("All Your Faces" in English) offers a possibility: restorative justice. This regimen features discussions between inmates and their victims.

It's not always a smooth process, as there's plenty of tension between people (especially due to the variety of races). Nonetheless, there's the chance of forgiveness and increased understanding of the causes of anything defined as crime. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it's worth seeing. I don't know if it's available on any streaming service, so you might have to check a neighborhood video store.

The cast includes Miou-Miou and Adèle Exarchopoulos (who more recently voiced Ennui in "Inside Out 2").

Je verrai toujours vos visages is part of a recent wave of French cinema that sheds light on the public institutions' efforts to heal woes in society and help the vulnerable. Basically, the "Fraternité" in the French Republic motto "Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité."

So, if you have enjoyed watching Hors Normes, or Pupille, this movie should be a positive experience for you.

You may have read the plot. You may be concerned that the movie is too emotionally heavy. That life is already painful and you are not in the mood for a movie tackling an issue so serious. Rest assured: the movie is not all suffering. Go for it. You will learn something or two, including the value of compassion.

One element of disappointment for me is the packaging of the stories together into a movie. The movie switches between two different stories, and I was personally not convinced that there is any real synergy between them. It feels like each story was not enough for one movie, so they glued the two together. Or that the creators were keen on showing different missions undertaken by the Restorative Justice system. Likewise, the movie delves randomly and somewhat superficially at the personal lives of the public agents. We get sneak peaks every now and then that we could have done without. Too much and at the same time not enough.

In short, good story but the salt and pepper of the movie could have been better seasoned.

I have a Bachelors in Arts in Criminology. And a double in Psychology. Not many people know this about me, because, frankly, I am embarrassed because I do not use it at all in my life. I feel like I wasted my 4 years in college and have basically no career; doing basically nothing; what could have been done with a high school diploma.

But I digress.

I only confessed it now to give some validity to my next statement, which is that this restorative program between offenders and victims needs to be a real thing. And not only in France. World wide. My studies and own personal research tells me that this is real. It works more often than it does not- maybe not in the ways people want it to, but it is real progress. Kudos to the filmmakers for such an insightful premise, and to the actors and actresses for some damn fine performances all around. Bravo!

Without a shadow of a doubt I am saying this is the best movie I've seen in 2023 and I've seen a lot. Also, this is the first one on restorative justice (a program that bonds criminals and victims in order for criminals to become aware of the harm they inflicted, feel remorse and change), and it was a real eye-opener. It both opened my eyes to see the fruit of this hard work done by amazing people, a lot of them being volunteers, who believe in this system; and made these eyes cry. It takes a lot of courage and perseverance to keep going and do this work that might seem totally impossible at the outset.

I am thanking all the people involved in making this film because we need to know that this exists, that this works, and that broken lives (both the victims' and the criminals') can be mended, and start anew. Bravo! Je verrai toujours vos visages.

I believe in Empathy. And compassion. And forgiveness.

Hence the first scene was strong, astounding to me.

I heard something like: "No empathy here". Well, quite intriguing moto, I thought.

I was led through the parallel processes in the movie delighted by the sheer cleanness of accuracy of its point of view as well as THE LACK OF manipulating me to drown in bitter-sweet-cheap-drama.

Nearly all scenes exhibits a great opportunity to fall deep down sentimentalism - but Jeanne Herry keeps on being focused, consistent, on course.

With great appreciation as well as thanks I got a peek to a totally new way of approach to life's bumps, obstacles, pains.

I never heard about Restorative Justice before.

It's kind of wonder for me to see a way that generates Empathy, Compassion and Forgiveness - especially inwards, toward oneself maybe even before practicing it to others.