As both a writer and director Mia Hansen-Løve unveils a wisdom far greater than her relatively few years should permit; Things to Come (L’avenir) is a masterclass in restraint that proves that a film does not need to be ostentatious in order to be powerful.

Isabelle Huppert is extraordinary as an aging philosophy professor whose life slowly begins to unravel around her; her performance is exceptionally restrained – not the sort of one that will attract major awards, although it should – but retains the power to shatter with the slightest of gestures. All life is here, and it is rendered beautifully.

Hansen-Løve’s lament on life, death, love, and legacy is a film that burrows deep and shimmers with an affecting sense of feeling. Here, time is both ruinous and restorative.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Isabelle Huppert, André Marcon, Roman Kolinka, Edith Scob

DIRECTOR: Mia Hansen-Løve

WRITER: Mia Hansen-Løve

SYNOPSIS: A philosophy professor confronts the trials of middle age.

Things to Come was reviewed as part of One Room With A View’s coverage of the 66th Berlinale Film Festival, which runs 11-21 February 2016.