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Cast
Nicole Garcia
as Marie Saint-Jean
Marie-Christine Barrault
as Eliane Saint-Jean
Daniel Mesguich
as Psychoanalyst
Claude Rich
as Guillaume Talbiac
Jean-Luc Boutté
as François
Michèle Baumgartner
as Michèle
Jean-Louis Foulquier
as Bertheas
Robin Renucci
as Marie's father
Céline Blanc-Potard
as Jeanne
Violaine Gonce
as Marie, child
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1983
Runtime1h 32m
LanguageFrench
CertificationNR
GenresComedy, Drama
Votes3
DirectorJosé Pinheiro
WritersJosé Pinheiro
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.7 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsLes Mots pour le dire
About Les Mots pour le dire
A psychological drama that details the tormented relationship between Marie and her mother, stemming from Marie's childhood on their estate in Algeria. The mother, Eliane had lost a child before Marie was born and was consumed with hatred for her husband who was carrying tuberculosis and may have been the cause of the child's death. That hatred was never resolved, and Marie grew up in a bitter and strained household. As both women grow older, Marie marries and raises a family while her mother sinks ever deeper into anger, frustration, poverty, and isolated despair. She vents her destructive emotions on her daughter and is completely resistant to her daughter's attempts to help her, to make her life better.
Directed by José Pinheiro, Les Mots pour le dire leans on a strong ensemble — Nicole Garcia, Marie-Christine Barrault, Daniel Mesguich — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1983.
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