Films

«M», or love without words

2 reading minutes

written by Loris S. Musumeci · December 06, 2017 · 0 comment

«You know how burned-out houses lean against one another.»

Lila has a severe stutter. Uncomfortable, mocked, and having lost her mother, the young girl leads a life that no one would envy. Her face seems perpetually filled with sadness: she’s on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment. She lives in a small apartment with a father who spends his time in front of the television in his bathrobe and a mischievous little sister who has clearly received no education. Nevertheless, Lila has the soul of a true poet.

As for Mo, he is a thirty-year-old man who is secretly illiterate. His livelihood? Illegal street races with gypsies. Though his father is dead, his mother is still alive, but he has cut off all contact with her since she abandoned him. Two shattered lives meet by chance at a bus stop. While it’s love at first sight, communication proves difficult between the stutterer and the illiterate man. This tumultuous love affair will, however, prove fruitful enough to help the lovers come to terms with their respective tragedies—at the cost of disappointments and tears.

Blunders

A story like this brings tears to your eyes. Sara Forestier doesn’t seem to have taken the easy way out in tackling this subject. Especially since this is her directorial debut, in which she also plays the lead role—that of a woman who stutters. On a list of films honored for their accumulation of hardships, this one would undoubtedly take first place. It has earned her as much scorn as it has praise. The reviews are indeed mixed.

M may be off-putting—and rightly so. A number of missteps are to blame. Scenes of romantic passion, like those of violent arguments, drag on endlessly. On the one hand, they detract from the film’s overall poetic quality; on the other, they unsettle the viewer in an inappropriate way. Other, more debatable points have also been highlighted, namely Sara Forestier’s superficial performance and the artificial nature of the storytelling.

Left Behind by Life

M can also be appealing, in a meaningful way. Light-years away from superficiality, Lila’s portrayal is supported by its authenticity, the deep emotion it conveys, and its astonishing strength that emerges as the story unfolds. Mo, on the other hand, is largely spared from debate thanks to the fame of the actor playing him: Redouanne Harjane. Quite naturally, his wild gaze captivates, and his warrior-like appearance leaves the viewer with no choice but to appreciate his talent.

The photograph highlights the purity radiated by the couple by using a motion-sensitive camera, which also conveys the two lovers’ turmoil through alternating moments of blurriness and sharp focus. Set to the music of the great Christophe, the score lends an electric yet fragile rhythm to the painful silences of a woman who stutters and the absences of an illiterate man. All in all, *M* reveals a few flaws; yet it promises to offer those of us who feel left behind by life—a feeling we all share—a space in which to express ourselves.