''The Hedgehog'' (''Le Hérisson'') is a French film directed by Mona Achache, loosely based on the novel ''

The Elegance of the Hedgehog ''The Elegance of the Hedgehog'' (french: link=no, L'Élégance du hérisson) is a novel by the French novelist and philosophy teacher Muriel Barbery. The book follows events in the life of a concierge, Renée Michel, whose deliberately conceal ...

'' by Muriel Barbery. Made in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, the film was released in theatres in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

Plot

Paloma is an 11-year-old girl quietly and unhappily living in a luxurious Paris apartment with her family. She is intelligent and observant and, sensing disappointment and despair in adulthood, decides to end her life on her 12th birthday, which is 165 days away from when the story begins. Her father's old camera in hand, she records telling moments in the lives of the inadequate humans around her: her

antidepressant Antidepressants are a class of medication used to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, chronic pain conditions, and to help manage addictions. Common side-effects of antidepressants include dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, hea ...

-dependent mother, her moody sister, and petulant dinner guests. As Paloma prepares to finish her remaining days, Mrs. Michel, the gruff-looking, reclusive

concierge A concierge () is an employee of a multi-tenant building, such as a hotel or apartment building, who receives guests. The concept has been applied more generally to other hospitality settings and to personal concierges who manage the errands of ...

, manages the building where Paloma and her family live. She hides her passion for literature from her

bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

employers, but is found out by the new resident Mr. Ozu, widowed and Japanese, as a beautiful bibliophile in elegant disguise. A fiercely tender attraction grows between the three like-minded individuals, showing Paloma a more lovely side of life than she originally thought possible and forcing her to reconsider her plan of

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

Cast

* Josiane Balasko - Renée Michel *

Garance Le Guillermic Garance Le Guillermic (born 11 September 1997) is a French former child actress. She starred in six movies but is best known for her role as witty 11-year-old Paloma in Mona Achache's 2009 film ''The Hedgehog'' along with Josiane Balasko. Fil ...

- Paloma Josse * Togo Igawa - Monsieur Kakuro Ozu *

Ariane Ascaride Ariane Ascaride (born 10 October 1954) is a French actress and screenwriter. She has appeared in films such as '' Marius et Jeannette'' (''Marius and Jeannette''), '' Ma vraie vie à Rouen'' (''The True Story of My Life in Rouen''; USA, ''My Lif ...

- Manuela Lopez *

Anne Brochet Anne Brochet (born 22 November 1966) is a French actress. Career Brochet has appeared in films such as ''Cyrano de Bergerac'', '' Le temps des porte-plumes'', '' 30 ans'', '' Une journée de merde!'' and '' Tous les matins du monde''. She has als ...

- Solange Josse * Wladimir Yordanoff - Paul Josse *Sarah Lepicard - Colombe Josse *

Valérie Karsenti Valérie Karsenti (born 26 August 1968) is a French television, film, stage and voice actress. She is best known for her role as Liliane in the sitcom ''Scènes de ménages''. Biography Valérie Karsenti was born in Pantin in the department ...

- Tibère's mother

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 88% of 67 critics gave the film a positive review, for an average rating of 7/10.

References

External links

Official site (Australia)
* Films about suicide Films based on French novels Films set in Paris French drama films 2000s French films {{2000s-France-film-stub