The Adopted (15)

Starring: Mélanie Laurent, Marie Dénarnaud

Anthony Quinn
Thursday 23 February 2012 20:00 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Girlfriend-in-a-coma movie suffering from a bad case of the cutes.

Actress Mélanie Laurent's directorial debut features a sickly opening montage of family togetherness and never recovers from it.

It revolves around musician and single mum Lisa (Laurent) and her adopted, bookish sister Marine (Marie Dénarnaud), who've been closer than blood since childhood; when the latter falls for hunky restaurant critic Alex (Denis Menochet), it triggers an estrangement that will be tested by a tragedy down the line.

Laurent is much too fond of sentimental arm-twisting, most of it centred on Lisa's four-year-old moppet, and her film keeps stumbling over the obstacles of preciousness – these people are mildly bohemian, pleasant, but we never much care one way or another, even when heartbreak bursts out of nowhere.

There are few things more soul-destroying than the movie which insists on how much you should love its characters.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in