Astrakan

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Richard P Set in the countryside, David Depesseville's debut narrative follows a foster child, Samuel (Mirko Giannini), who is forced to reckon with family secrets, first love, and his place in the world as he grapples with life in his new foster home. Samuel is a forlorn, though not joyless, boy who is a new addition to a working-class family. He is an orphan, and his indifferent guardians never let him forget it, they frequently speak about him as if he is not even there. Samuel is deemed crazy by his foster family, though the viewer sees little evidence to support this assertion. Time and time again, Samuel seems to catch this family's ire for reasons unknown. They resent him but need him. Throughout the film, they assert that the only reason they keep him is for the money. Samuel is a means for this struggling family to survive. As soon as the film begins, there is tension with his foster uncle Luc (Théo Costa-Marini.) His two foster brothers also seem apprehensive about this uncle and want locks on their door. Almost every time she glances in Samuel's direction, his foster mother, Marie (Jehnny Beth) radiates scorn for this child. Initially his foster father, Clément (Bastien Bouillon), seems as if he may be a beacon of hope, but that is short-lived. Then there is the literal girl next door Hélène (Lorine Delin) who flirts with Samuel and seems to know much more about the world than this seemingly innocent boy. Aside from time spent with Hélène, Samuel finds some solace in gymnastics, but as with most things in this story, lack of money is a constant threat. ​​As many coming-of-age films have explored in the past, "Astrakan" is about a young protagonist navigating societal expectations while transitioning to adulthood. It also conveys the unique confusion of growing up within foster care, where children can become commodities to the families in which they are placed. Indeed, it can be seen as a critique of a system that is clearly not always designed to see these vulnerable children receive the love and care that they need. David Depesseville's film pulls the viewer in from the opening scene and keeps them riveted with layered performances, rich subtext, solid tempo, and Simon Beaufils's gritty, naturalistic 16 mm cinematography. The director smartly omits information in certain sections, forcing the audience to experience the world as if through Samuel’s perspective—it’s this ambiguity that makes the viewer relive the confusion of adolescence. Though the final act may challenge viewers and raise more questions than answers, there is no doubt in this reviewer's mind that Giannini's performance and Depesseville's direction are so assured that this film deserves the audience's attention. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/09/25 Full Review Jagger F I had never in my life seen a film that had such a genuine understanding of life and the essence there of. To explain it better, imagine a film that lies between all of the perfection of The Perks Of Being a Wallflower and The 400 Blows. The wonderful product of that is Astrakan. This film is an experience unlike any other I’d ever had. I got so genuinely transported to the life of this child. I felt with him, I saw with him, I was him for 104 minutes. I felt all of the abuse and neglect he went through that brought him to unbelievable lows. I was so awestruck by the quality of this film that I feel the need to just spread the word. The fact that this has <1000 reviews on Letterboxd is really sad because this is a once in a lifetime film that is now a favorite movie for me. Everyone go watch this film. It is a masterwork of editing, cinematography, acting, writing, metaphor use in cinema, and general quality of film that I’ve seen lacking in other major films. A life changing film that has entirely changed my view of film as a medium. 100/100 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/14/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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