Hold Me Tight

Clarisse, who appears to have left her husband Marc, drives an old station wagon around France. Her husband and their two children, Lucie and Paul, still live in their home, where a piano occupies centre stage. Clarisse admits to a waitress that she really misses her kids.

In his fourth feature film, French actor and filmmaker Mathieu Amalric alternates between scenes which focus on Clarisse and flashbacks of a happy family. Sometimes, there are flashbacks within flashbacks, for instance to Marc and Clarisse’s initial meeting. As viewers slowly become aware of the timing, things gradually become clear. This creates a moving film buoyed by the impressive performance of Vicky Krieps (known for Phantom Thread, 2017) as Clarisse, troubled by ghosts from her past. The soundtrack consists of a variety of beautiful (piano) music, ranging from Beethoven to Schönberg.

See also Big Talk: Mathieu Amalric