Other People’s Children

Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, Other People’s Children follows Virginie Efira’s Rachel as her tentative relationship with Ali (Roschdy Zem) is complicated by his ex-wife and young daughter. It’s a low-key premise that’s employed to mostly watchable effect by Zlotowski, as the filmmaker, armed with her own script, delivers a subdued drama that receives plenty of mileage out of Efira’s ingratiating and thoroughly compelling performance – with the strength of her superb work here generally (and effectively) smoothing over the narrative’s periodic lulls and bumps. The affable atmosphere is perpetuated by Zlotowski’s relaxed approach to the material, as well as the palpable chemistry between Efira and Zem’s respective figures, while it eventually does become awfully difficult not to sympathize with and root for the central character’s ongoing exploits. (It’s worth noting, as well, that certain subplots that seem needless are paid off by the time the satisfying finale rolls around.) And although the movie is perhaps just a little longer than necessary, Other People’s Children is, by and large, an effective (and affecting) portrait of a woman at a crossroads.

*** out of ****