★ 6 / 10
Anne" (Anamaria Vartolomei) is a young student studying
CinemaSerf
"Anne" (Anamaria Vartolomei) is a young student studying to be a teacher, when she starts to feel stomach cramps. A visit to the doctor reveals that she is…
"Anne" (Anamaria Vartolomei) is a young student studying to be a teacher, when she starts to feel stomach cramps. A visit to the doctor reveals that she is pregnant and the remainder of this drama relates to her decision not to have the baby. That's quite a stance to take in 1960s France where, much like in most of the rest of Europe, abortion is illegal, dangerous - and costly! It was an one-night-stand with "Max" (Julien Frison) that led to her condition, so she goes to visit him to see if he can help, but that's not much use and she finds herself largely alone trying to raise the money needed whilst her natural pre-occupation causes her grades to suffer. Much of the buildup to this autobiographical story is nothing special, to be honest; but for the last twenty minutes it becomes actually quite compelling. It reminded me of Imelda Staunton's excellent "Vera Drake" (2004). Not since then have I seen a film that openly deals with the dangers of backstreet abortions, of the stigma attached to those people who this who saw this as their only practical solution - and Vartolomei delivers her part confidently in what is essentially a strong, single-handed, performance that is quite effective at drawing us into her predicament and at making us think.
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★ 8 / 10
Gut-wrenching abortion drama, now more relevant than ever
paul-allaer
As "Happening" (2021 release from France; 100 min.) opens, it's some time in the early 1960s in France, and we are introduced to several young women, students…
As "Happening" (2021 release from France; 100 min.) opens, it's some time in the early 1960s in France, and we are introduced to several young women, students at the local university, who are getting ready to go out on the town. One of them is Annie (or Anne). Then later, Annie goes to see a doctor as her period is late. The doctor informs her that she is pregnant, to Annie's shock. She asks the doctor "to do something" but he flat-out refuses, as abortion is illegal and carries a penalty in jail... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from French-Lebanese writer-director Audrey Diwan ("Losing It"). Here she brings the real life tale of what happens to a young woman in her early 20s who gets pregnant in a time and space where abortion is entirely illegal without any exceptions (France in the early 60s). Watch how Annie gets no support, zero, from anyone around her including doctors, family and friends, and even her lover. Watch how increasingly desperate Annie becomes as the weeks pass. Please note that some scenes are very difficult to watch. The US premiere of this film came at the 2022 Sundance film festival, just over a year ago, and mere months before the US Supreme Court overruled Re v. Wade, with the GOP subsequently enacting strict anti-abortion laws in multiple states. For shame. Do you want to go back more than half a century to the times when men in power decided that "this isn't a woman's issue"? Welcome to the GOP of 2022! As a complete aside, this film is based on the book of the same name by acclaimed French author Annie Ernaux (born Duchesne), who just last year won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
"Happening" is currently rated 99% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. It is a gut-wrenching abortion drama, now more relevant issue than ever. I had been clamoring to see this film, and finally it started streaming on Hulu just yesterday. I watched it right away. If you are in the mood for a top-notch if devastating abortion drama, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
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@hand_some3: Since forever in all the civilised world. It's a fundamental right of a woman in any free society. What kind of a backward misogynistic sh!thole do you live in where people don't understand such basic things?