A Love Like Poison Review

• 12th May 2011

A small village in Brittany is the subject of first-time director Katell Quillévéré’s film, which uses multiple narratives to show the intimate workings of a rural community.

At the centre is Anna (Clara Augarde), a 14-year-old girl who returns from boarding school to her mother and dying paternal grandfather. In the days leading up to her confirmation, Anna begins to explore her nascent sexuality, the focus of which is budding local lothario Pierre (Youen Leboulanger-Gourvil).

Meanwhile, Anna’s mother, preparing for divorced life, struggles with her feelings for her local priest (Stefano Cassetti) who in turn struggles with his faith. Catholicism touches every character’s story, most noticeably in the forthcoming confirmation, which hangs over Anna and doesn’t sit well with her burgeoning desires. The dying grandfather (Michel Galabru) is more confrontational with the faith, sending the visiting priest packing with an obscene soldier’s song.

A Love Like Poison is gifted with consistently strong acting; credit should be given to Galabru for his turn as the defiant-to-the-end grandfather and to Cassetti as the conflicted priest. Augarde‘s starring turn warrants singling out, the young actress perfectly hits the balance between the vulnerability and youthful joie de vivre of her character.

Quillévéré’s approach is pleasingly naturalistic, using long takes which let the stories emerge through the subtle, well-written dialogue. Free from any urgent narrative or big message, the director can simply observe the relationships his characters share, the sedate pace complimented by the lush Breton countryside that provides the setting.

A Love Like Poison feels unusually complete and assured for a debut effort. It’s a sweetly intimate film which announces the arrival of a promising new talent.

Adam Richardson