What's happened
A French-Canadian actor delivers a quietly powerful performance as a man facing throat cancer and infertility during a fraught Paris weekend. Pauline Loquès’s debut blends real-time sensibility with intimate, humane detail, echoing Cléo de 5 à 7 while charting a timely meditation on vulnerability and parenthood.
What's behind the headline?
Critical analysis
- The film foregrounds vulnerability and everyday absurdity, grounding a heavy premise in banality and humane detail.
- Pellerin’s performance captures a struggle to articulate pain, letting emotions leak out in awkward moments that feel authentically lived.
- Loquès crafts a real-time, slice-of-life rhythm that mirrors Nino’s urgent, limited timeframe, creating tension without melodrama.
- The piece asks: what does it mean to become a parent when the body has just betrayed possibility? The answer lies in intimate exchanges rather than grand statements.
- Forecast: the film will likely resonate with viewers who value character-driven drama and frank treatment of illness, potentially guiding conversations about infertility and sexuality.
How we got here
The film follows Nino, a young man in Paris who is diagnosed with throat cancer caused by an HPV infection. He must freeze sperm before beginning chemotherapy, while navigating a weekend of personal confrontations, family dynamics and his own fragile sense of self.
Our analysis
The Guardian (Phil Hoad) and Peter Bradshaw discuss the emotional texture and formal choices, while Alistair Harkness in The Scotsman emphasizes the Kafka-esque premise and Pellerin’s restraint. All highlight LOquès’s sensitive directing and the actor’s empathetic portrayal.
Go deeper
- How does Nino’s weekend alter your view of parenthood?
- What scenes best capture the film’s balance of humor and gravity?
- Which elements of real-time storytelling feel most effective here?