For a Woman

This semi-autobiographical romantic drama from filmmaker Diana Kurys explores a marriage that is formed and complicated by politics. In a framing device that takes place after her mother's death in 1980, daughter Anne (Sylvie Testud) goes through the late woman's belongings with her older sister, Tania (Julie Ferrier), discovering photographs and letters that she hadn't seen before. The scenario flashes back to 1945 when mother Léna (Mélanie Thierry) gives birth to Tania. Léna's Ukrainian husband, Michel (Benoît Magimel), who saved her from a concentration camp, runs a Lyon menswear shop. Due to the war, Michel lost touch with his family, believing that his brother died until the day that Jean (Nicolas Duvauchelle) suddenly appears from out of the blue. Michel hasn't seen him for so long that he wonders if Jean might be an imposter or a traitor, but the latter keeps his secrets to himself, although his ideas help the store become successful. Jean also encourages Léna to pursue interests outside the home, which goes against Michel's traditional concepts of domesticity. While the men become reacquainted, Léna befriends Madeleine (Clotilde Hesme), a married woman involved in an affair. Léna tells Madeleine that she would never cheat on Michel, but Jean sees her more clearly than her devoted—if controlling—husband, leading to a triangle that turns dangerous when Jean's activist history catches up with him. A fine cast prevents the story here from drowning in suds, even if the personal often trumps the political. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the bonus short film “Le Ballon De Rouge,” directed by Sylvain Bressollette (20 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a solid foreign drama.] (K. Fennessy)