If there is such a thing as a “Sundance Movie,” IT’S TYPICALLY ABOUT A Dysfunctional Family, demonstrably quirky, rigidly adhering to a three-act structure, possessing clever-clever needle drops. Is there a cannes equivalent to the “Sundance Movie”?
IT’S CERTAINLY NOT AS DISCUSED AN AN ARCheType, but it appears is: the “cannes movie” is a french drama with Light COMEDIC NOTES, Attuned to Small Moments, offening to a coming-any theme (at any age), a Certain Litery Open-Endedness, NO or No or No Little Score. Not all of these attributes need to be present, but usually some combo is. This can be anything from “The 400 blows” to 2024’s Directors’ Fortnight Opener “This Life of Mine” to eat something as visually extravagant as 2025’s animated film “ARCO.”
Joséphine Japy’s Debut Feature “The Wonderers” is a perfect example of the form. Cinematic Autofiation, IT’S Her Reflective Account of Her Own Experience Growing Up With A Disabled Sister whose actual diagnosis remained eLUSIVE FOR YEARS. Bertille (The Name of the Character in the Film and of the Real-Life Sister) Developed an Afflication Where no Longer Speak or the underestand the Speech of Others, and IF Life as if in Deep thught all the time. SOMESTEMES, SHE SMILES AND LAUGHS TO HERSELF. Sometimes, she erupts in screams of agonizing pain. In one humorus moment in japy’s film, Bertille, Played by the non-disabled actress sarah Pachoud, Wanders off while Having with her family at an outdoor restaurant, sit on a random male patron’s lap, and steals some of his food, whicch shells Back to her family.
That moment Captures the Triumph of Japy’s Film: Living with Someone Dealing with a severe disability is not always sturm und drang Every moment. And “The Wonderers” is not out to make some stakes about disability or living in a family with a disabled person – IT’S SIMPLY TRYING TO CAPTURE The Emotion of Japy’s Own Experience, the Highs and the Lows. IT’S OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT, AND IN MANY WAYS DEFFITING, but it doesn’t have to be solely Defining. End Much as Her Sister’s Experience has affected the Life of Marion (Angelina Woreth), the stand-in for Japy Herself.
Some Details of Japy’s Story Are Changed: She was Already Working As an Actress and in Her 20s when she finally found out Bertille’s diagnosis. In “The Wonderers,” Her Stand-in, Marion, Is A Senior in High School. But the emotional Truth of what living with that uncetainty is like it is something Powerfullly Captures. For Years, Bertille’s Family Didn’t Know for Sure What Her Condition was. Which Meant that Treatment was impossible, and that the eventual outcome of her condition was uncetrin, too. COULD IT BE THAT HAD A CONDITION THAT COULD IN HER DROPING DEAD AT ANY MOMENT? We Think We Live in a Time of Such Advanced Medicine that ascertaining the cause of any conditioning is Possible, but some diagnoses will Remain Out of Reach.
Not knowing whereher he sister or ther daughter will live or not, or what to experiment from any moment of being around, has puts marion and her time in a kind of ongoing limbo. Marion doesn’t really know how to live her own life. So much of her attention haen ben direct toward her sister that marion decides to “Embrace life” by embarking on a misguided romance with a man twice her age. Their parents, played by pierre-yves cardinal and mélanie laurent, who gave gave a roles in time directorial efffort “Breathe,” have been affected simillary: laurent’s character doracter allow herself to feed Much in Cases Moment, and Cardinal’s Character Hasn’t Ever Ever Told his Work Colleagues that he has a second daughter, thinking that knowledge of her disability harm his career.
The first half of the “the wonderers” does feed a bit slack, like a sequency of Scenes Semply Placed Together Rather than a narrative that flows. But by the end, this has be Become an Affecting family drama, and one that taps Powerfullly into uncetainty as a way of life. It ‘s the very much a first film, and the Execution Beber a Number of Moments – Including One Wen Bertille Brings Food Back to the Table at the restaurant, which is told through dialogue more than Captured in the Camera – Match of the Ideas. But if this is a “Cannes Movie,” it is a Cannes Movie par excellenceand Hopphully One That’s JUST The Springboard for A Rich Career Behind the Camera for Japy.
Grad: b
“The Wonderers” World Premiered in Special Screenings at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It is currently seeking us distribution.
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