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Claire is a young girl who got pregnant. She didn't want to abort the baby and didn't want her boyfriend to pay his responsibility. Instead, she quit her current job at a local supermarket and went to work for Mrs. Melikian, as her embroidery assistant. Mrs. Melikian just lost his only son from a motorcycle accident.

Claire showed her willingness in taking her duties, as well as taking over Mrs. Melikian's private order when she was treated in the hospital (Mrs. Melikian tried to suicide, feeling lost without his son).

I found this movie was a bit boring, as not many conflict arisen during the almost 1.5 hour running time. The Claire character wasn't convincing as a pregnant young woman, whose trying to prove that she'll carry the burden alone. However, the character Mrs. Melikian was superb.

"Brodeuses" (2004) aka "A Common Thread"- a first feature by Éléonore Faucher is a simple, moving and beautiful film about two unhappy and lonely women, a pregnant unmarried teenager Claire and Madame Mélikian (Ascaride), an older woman grieving over the death of her only son in a motorcycle accident. Claire becomes an assistant for Madam Melikian, an embroiderer for haute couture Parisian designers. Slowly, both women come to need and value each other; they form a close bond through their mutual love for embroidery. Their true friendship will be one of the reasons for Claire to make a very important decision about her future baby. Visually, the film is a work of an exceptional beauty. Almost unknown, it is as exquisite as "Girl with a Pearl Earring" - Lola Naymark (Claire) could've been easily a Vermeer's model with her face of rare charm that shines in every frame and her impossibly beautiful long red hair. Both Naymard and Ariane Ascaride (Madam Melikian) gave outstanding performances in the movie with no bad performances at all.

Here in Argentina this film goes by the title "La trama de la vida" (The weft of life), the french title could be translated in English as "The (women) embroiderers" (nouns in French have gender) Lovely film. Nice music composed by Michael Galasso (sounds like Arvo Pärt). Claire debates herself between giving her child in adoption or keeping it. The film builds up, step by step. Claire works in a supermarket but that's not what she wants to do in life, she wants to be an embroiderer. Being pregnant, being a teenager, living in a provincial town she must "take up arms against a sea of troubles". A brave and loving girl with determination. In this quest she also finds love.

Every so often a film comes along which qualitatively surpasses the overwhelming number of movies available. BRODEUSES is one which requires a super classification. It contains elements which I deem essential for films of merit: superior writing, exemplary direction, abundant understatement, good use of color, effective use of facial expressions and eye movement, and suspense in the form of an omnipresent question. The writing is to the point, and mindless chatter which one finds in so many film productions is non-existent in this one. What needs to be said, is said, no more or no less. Economy of dialogue is a virtue. The camera angles resulting from the direction draw the viewer into the scenes. I find myself wanting to keep Claire from falling of her scooter, or from sliding off the side of the mountain when harvesting cabbages. The understatement insures that there are no screaming parents, pouting children, or meddling yentas. Claire's plight becomes more obvious as the months past, yet no one judges or indictes. All seem to understand and to accept, and, except for and occasional facial expression or eye movement, no one reacts. However, it in the use of color that his film excels. Claire's red hair and her green coat are obviously complementary, and the embriodery is spectacular. The are dozens of other examples. And the unanswered question? There is more that one question left unresolved, and that is as it should be. This film is going on my "view often" list, if for no other reason than to reinforce my need for good art.

This is the kind of film that gives 'Art House' a good name. Given the title and style it compares favorably with La Dentelliere and that is praise indeed. The story is simplicity itself; a young supermarket worker, Claire Moutiers (Lola Naymark) with a passion for embroidery and a life that is going nowhere becomes pregnant almost in passing. Having no real attachment to the father she has to decide how to deal with the situation. Her first move is to approach a local embroiderer, Madame Melikian (Ariane Ascaride) for a job. M. Melikian has her own problems; her son has recently died in a road accident and by chance, his friend Guillaume (Thomas Laroppe) who survived the tragedy albeit at the expense of a badly scarred face, is the brother of Claire's friend Lucile. Soon after starting her new job Claire finds M Melikian comatose in the wake of a suicide attempt and alerts the authorities. From then on the film becomes a story of friendship, trust, healing and love. I doubt if there is a speech longer than two sentences from beginning to end, instead there are stunningly simple visuals like Clair cutting cabbages (in French 'cabbage' is an endearment as in ma petite chou) or Madame Melikian's hand touching that of Guillaume when Claire brings them face to face. The film builds its effects the way the two leads assemble a tapestry, slowly, painstakingly, one stitch at a time. In a film where every performance is way above average the two leads stand out like twin beacons, one (Naymark) remarkable and one (Ascaride) magnificent. One of the finest films of the last few years.