''Mother and Son'' (french: Un petit frère, lit=A Little Brother) is a 2022 French

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

film written and directed by

Léonor Serraille Léonor Serraille (born 1986) is a French screenwriter and director. Biography Serraille was born in Lyon and was a student at La Fémis. In 2013 Serraille completed her master's degree in general and comparative literature at the Sorbonne-Nouve ...

, starring , Stéphane Bak, Kenzo Sambin, Ahmed Sylla, Sidy Fofana and Milan Doucansi.

Cast

* as Rose * Stéphane Bak as young Jean * Kenzo Sambin as young Ernest * Ahmed Sylla as Ernest * Sidy Fofana as little Jean * Milan Doucansi as little Ernest * Audrey Kouakou as Eugenie * * as Thierry * as Julius Caesar *

Lætitia Dosch Lætitia Dosch (; born 1 September 1980) is a French-Swiss actress, playwright and director. Her film credits include ''Age of Panic'', ''Keeper (film), Keeper'', ''Summertime (2015 film), Summertime'', ''Montparnasse Bienvenue (film), Montparnass ...

Release

The film premiered at the

75th Cannes Film Festival The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival is an upcoming film festival scheduled to take place from 17 to 28 May 2022. The festival will see a tribute to actor Tom Cruise, whose film '' Top Gun: Maverick'' is due to premiere at the festival. The off ...

on 27 May 2022. It was released theatrically in France on 1 February 2023 by Diaphana Distribution. International distribution is handled by MK2 Films.

Reception

Peter Bradshaw Peter Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire''. Early life and education Bradshaw was educated at Haberdashers ...

of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' rated the film 4 stars out of 5. Diego Semerene of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' rated the film 3 stars out of 4 and calling it a "lovely film about feminine strength that also refuses to glorify motherhood." Guy Lodge of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "An unsentimental but stoically anguished portrait of a tough single mother and two vulnerable sons settling (or not) in France from the Ivory Coast, it shows how the immigrant experience can equally tighten the knot between parent and child, or permanently unravel it." Ben Croll of ''

TheWrap ''TheWrap'' is an American online news website covering the business of entertainment and media via digital, print and live events. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman Sharon I. Waxman (born c.1963) is an American author, journalist, ...

'' wrote that the film "plays on the most intimate of registers" Stephanie Bunbury of ''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...

'' wrote a positive review of the film. Wendy Ide of ''

Screen Daily ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...

'' wrote that "although Mother And Son loses some of its energy as it unfolds, it is still a sensitive and complex examination of the shifting tensions in a migrant family." Lovia Gyarkye of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' wrote that the film "contains moving strokes", but "struggles to make a lasting emotional dent." Sophie Monks Kaufman of '' Little White Lies'' wrote that the writing "cannot match the poignancy of Lengronne's performance."

References

External links

* * {{Rotten Tomatoes 2022 drama films 2022 films 2020s French films 2020s French-language films France 3 Cinéma films French drama films