La Ligne

I saw this movie at the world premiere at Berlinale. I went into it without much knowledge of it beforehand. I pretty much only knew that it was a daughter who got a restraining order form her mom.

I didn't expect it to be anything to write home about. I was partly right about that.

The movie is a pretty good movie. It has great characters and makes the storyline work pretty well. And it certainly has it's moments.

That being said it's not one of the best films I've ever seen. It's definitely better than average but it's also not a big notable work of art.

There's so much more psychological depth to this movie than first meets the eye. It's what isn't said that becomes the narrative.

Love and hatred are just a step away, only separated by a blue line painted on the ground in this dysfunctional oddball family.

The infantile mother neglects her duties when it suits her and and resents her oldest daughter Margaret for ruining her carreer as a concert pianist.

The daughters show typical parentification behavior when a Mom (or Dad) is emotionally unavailable. They go to extremes to protect their fragile family unit. The youngest angelic sister paints a protective boundary whilst Margaret nourishes the emotional bond by providing daily singing lessons.

The closing scene teeters on the hope of reconciliation between the mother and Margaret who pitifully yearns for her love. But what can we expect? She could never step over the line and better herself. Even before the physical attack she was already tone-deaf to her children's needs.