Directors: Celyn Jones, Tom Stern
Writers: Celyn Jones, Kaite O'Reilly
Stars: Rebel Wilson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rachel Adedeji
Sarah (Rebel Wilson) and Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg) don't know each other, but both have a spouse who suffered brain damage and lost their memory, followed by Dr. Falmer (Meera Syal) in a specialized nursing home. While the situation of their respective spouses deteriorates and they lose their autonomy, requiring hospitalization, Sarah and Toni have an affair, as improbable as it is restorative.
"The Almond and the Seahorse" deals with a difficult subject. If memory loss that affects the elderly in the context of Alzheimer's is known in the public mind, such disorders can affect much younger people as well. Joe, Sarah's husband, has memory problems after brain cancer and Gwen, Toni's wife, after a car accident. In both cases, the brain connections involve almost daily memory loss, waking up each day with no memory of what happened or how much time has passed.
One can imagine the harshness of this reality for the spouse. Either because of Sarah who has been going through this for two years or because of Toni for fifteen years. And when things get worse, hospitalization is inevitable, with feelings of breakup and loss for those left alone.
The story of these four characters is sensitively told. And thankfully they are played by a talented and daring international cast for a British independent film: Australian actress Rebel Wilson (who we're more used to seeing working in a comedic register), French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg and Danish actress Trine Dyrholm. The fourth main character, Joe, is played by Welshman Celyn Jones, who co-signs the production (with cinematographer Tom Stern) and the script.
“The Almond and the Sea Horse” (the title refers to two parts of the brain) is an adaptation of a Kaite O'Reilly play by the latter and, therefore, by Celyn Jones, who had already played the role. of Joe in the original work.
If there is an attempt to create a certain visual lyricism and extract a dose of optimism and humor from a serious subject, the film unfortunately tends to fall unnecessarily into melodramatic errors, particularly through overly present music.
“The Almond and the Sea Horse” was presented in competition at the Dinard British Film Festival where it received the Special Jury Prize. At the time of writing, the film is not yet scheduled for distribution in France, but will be released in theaters in the US, Australia, and the UK.
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