Two French acting greats, Catherine Deneuve (currently starring in The Truth) and Catherine Frot, share the screen for the very first time in ‘The Midwife’, a charming drama about old acquaintances and new beginnings from celebrated director Martin Provost (‘Séraphine’, ‘Violette’).
Conscientious, inhibited and perhaps a little self-righteous midwife Claire (Frot) is stuck in a rut. After years of placing other people before herself, she’s worried she might have been left behind. One day, however, an unexpected phone call changes everything. The call is from her father’s former mistress, Béatrice (Deneuve), a capricious free spirit who’s been off-grid since she walked out on them over three decades ago. As circumstances reunite these two polar-opposites, flighty Béatrice is forced to consider her responsibilities, while uptight Claire finally learns to let go of her troubles.
A bold and buoyant two-hander, ‘The Midwife’ is a bewitching and unapologetic celebration of life’s loves, losses and endless fresh surprises.
★★★★ “Pathos, sharp-eyed observation and barbed humour” – Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent
★★★★ “Deneuve delivers a masterclass in characterisation” - Kevin Maher, The Times
★★★★ “A low-key Dardennes-style realism is seasoned with just a touch of melodrama” - Wendy Ide, The Observer
