7.3
Mona Bergeron is dead, her frozen body found in a ditch in the French countryside. From this, the film flashes back to the weeks leading up to her death. Through these flashbacks, Mona gradually declines as she travels from place to place, taking odd jobs and staying with whomever will offer her a place to sleep. Mona is fiercely independent, craving freedom over comfort, but it is this desire to be free that will eventually lead to her demise.
Sandrine Bonnaire
Mona Bergeron
Macha Méril
Mme Landier
Yolande Moreau
Yolande
Stéphane Freiss
Jean-Pierre
Setti Ramdane
The Moroccan Who Discovers Mona
Yahiaoui Assouna
Assoun
Marthe Jarnias
Old Aunt Lydie
Francis Balchère
Gendarmerie
Jean-Louis Perletti
Gendarmerie
Urbain Causse
Farmer Interviewed
Christophe Alcazar
Ditch Burner
Dominique Durand
First Biker
Joël Fosse
Paulo
Patrick Schmit
Camionneur
Daniel Bos
Wrecker
Katy Champaud
Girl at the Pump
Raymond Roulle
Old Man with Matches
Agnès Varda
(uncredited)
Laurence Cortadellas
Eliane
Henri Fridiani
The Gravedigger
Patrick Sokol
The Young Man with the Sandwich
Pierre Imbert
The Mechanic
Richard Imbert
The Mechanic's Son
Gabriel Mariani
Yolande's uncle (Aimé B.I.O.N.N.E.T.)
Patrick Lepczynski
David, the Wandering Jew
Michèle Doumèche
The p... on the route
Pierette Soler
The Lady Talking to Her Husband
Pierre Emonnot
The Unhappy Manager
Emmanuel Protopopoff
The Blood Donor Backpacker
Vincent Sanchez
The Nurse
Garibaldi Fernandez
The Mason with the Round Hat
Michel Constantial
The Cash Register Manager
Alain Roussel
The Violent Woodsman
Aimé Chisci
The Farm Manager
Geneviève Bonfils
The Farm Manager's Wife
Christian Chessa
The ZONARD-MAC at the Gas Station
Setina Arhab
The Zonarde
Jacques Berthier
The Well-Dressed Little Gentleman
Olivier Jongerlinck
The Racketeer at the Photo Booth
Rémi Leboucq
The Racketeer's Client
Jean Dambrin
The Trichlomane
Bébert Samcir
The Harmonica Player
Director, Writer
Agnès Varda
May 15, 2024
7
Sandrine Bonnaire delivers really quite well in this observational drama of a young, rootless, girl who roams the countryside living from hand to mouth. Now we start with "Mona" dead in a ditch - so there's little jeopardy, but that also serves a useful frame of reference to this depiction of her last fortnight or so of life. It's presented episodically as she encounters a goat-herder, squats with a pot-smoker for a few days, falls in love with an handsome Tunisian grape-picker and my own favourite - manages to get quite well oiled with a curmudgeonly old lady who simply needed to let her hair down. Each day brings her something new and the flashback style of storytelling allows us to reset a little between her adventures. Each time she, and we, feel maybe there is sense that hope isn't far away as she plays a game of Russian Roulette with her daily life. Some people are sympathetic, some downright hostile and it's all of these characteristics that contribute well to this punchy portrait of a strong woman who has no idea what she wants, nor what she doesn't want either. Does she clamour for peace, quiet, security? Does she thrive better on the unpredicable? One of my favourite Varda films - it's freedom and openness of visuals and spirit is compellingly augmented by Bonnaire and a cast of engaging character actors some you might like and some you probably won't. To what extent this is an accurate representation of rural life and small village mentality is also a question we are left to assess for ourselves and it all makes for a drama that works on several levels.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
French
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00