Ken Scott, director of such hit comedies as Starbuck, returns with Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan, a dramatic comedy that blends emotion and humor. Based on the autobiographical novel by Roland Perez, the film tells of a mother's unshakeable determination to give her son an exceptional life, despite a birth handicap. Leïla Bekhti plays Esther, the courageous mother, while Jonathan Cohen lends his charisma to Roland, her son. Featuring the iconic presence of Sylvie Vartan, Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan is an ode to maternal love and resilience.
Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan will hit cinema screens from March 19, 2025.
Synopsis: In 1963, Esther gives birth to Roland, the youngest of a large family. Roland was born with a clubfoot that prevented him from standing upright. Against everyone's advice, she promises her son that he'll walk like everyone else and have a fabulous life. From then on, Esther will do everything in her power to keep this promise. Through decades of hardship and miracles, this film is the story of an incredible destiny and the greatest love of all: a mother's love for her child.
With Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan (My Mother, God and Sylvie Vartan), Quebec filmmaker Ken Scott(Starbuck, Un peu, beaucoup, aveuglément) creates a nostalgia-flavored comedy-drama, starring a masterful Leïla Bekhti and an unexpected Jonathan Cohen in a more restrained role. Inspired by true events, the film is an adaptation of Roland Perez's novel of the same name, an intimate chronicle in which the author recounts his own journey marked by society's view of his disability and his unshakeablematernal love. The film takes us back to the 1960s, to the heart of a large family, where Esther Perez, a mother as loving as she is invasive, refuses to accept that her son Roland, born with clubfoot, is condemned to a life of suffering. Between yéyé music and slice-of-life burlesques, this initiatory tale explores resilience and the strength of family ties.
Constructed in two distinct parts, Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan follows the rhythm of life itself. The first half of the film, set in the Sixties, is an explosion of color,energy and music. Ken Scott captures the ferment of an era marked byoptimism, ideals and popular fervor, with emblematic figures such as Sylvie Vartan, a veritable icon for young Roland.
The film gradually shifts to a more introspective tone when adult Roland takes over the narrative. Where the effervescence of the early days was underlined by dynamic editing, the second half adopts a more sober staging, refocusing on the characters and their inner dilemmas. It' s also at this point that Sylvie Vartan herself appears, embodying a powerful symbol of young Roland's dream and resilience.
More than a family chronicle, Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan questions the strength of mother-son bonds. Esther, played by an imperial Leïla Bekhti, is a character both sunny and suffocating. With her glibness and unconditional love, she refuses to accept that her son could be diminished, defying doctors and convention to offer him a dignified life.
But beyond her commitment, Esther is also a comic whirlwind. Her ability to impose her vision of things makes for some hilarious scenes. The film is genuinely funny, with punchy dialogue and an infectious energy reminiscent of the great popular comedies.
Jonathan Cohen, although better known for his comedic roles, finds a moving accuracy here as the adult Roland. His duet with Leïla Bekhti works wonderfully, their complicity reinforcing theemotional impact of the film. And like a red thread, the music accompanies their relationship, oscillating between jazz, pop and yéyé rock, with a special place for Sylvie Vartan, whose songs resonate like Proust's madeleines.
This film will undoubtedly appeal to fans of sincere, warm-hearted comedy-dramas. If you like family frescoes à la La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille, or nostalgia-tinged tales like La Famille Bélier, you'll be won over by this plunge into the 60s and its ode to maternal love.
On the other hand, if you're looking for a purely lightcomedy, Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan might leave you wanting more, especially in its more sedate second half.
Funny, tender and luminous, Ma Mère, Dieu et Sylvie Vartan (My Mother, God and Sylvie Vartan ) succeeds in the challenge of intelligent popular cinema. Ken Scott skilfully juggles comedy and drama, without ever lapsing into pathos or caricature.
While some may regret a more classical second half, theemotion remains omnipresent, supported by remarkable acting and meticulous direction.
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