A Woman's Life review a breezy comedy of midlife crisis and same-sex affair

"Lea Drucker carries off the lead with terrifically competent elan; there's hardly a scene in which she is not interrupted by a call on her mobile, going into bravura walk-and-talk acting on the phone while on the street, arriving at the office or getting into or out of her car. She plays Gabrielle, a brilliant surgeon what other sort is there in the movies? who specialises in maxillofacial reconstruction. Gabrielle is battling budget cuts, scolding her idle interns, doing outstanding work and is heavily reliant on her assistant Kamyar (Laurent Capelluto)."

"At home, she has a tricky relationship with her partner Henri (Charles Berling), whose teen children from his previous marriage she has raised while resenting his ingratitude for this, as well as for his somewhat semi-detached attitude to their relationship. She is also deeply concerned by her elderly mother Arlette (tenderly played by Marie-Christine Barrault) who is entering the twilight of dementia. But Gabrielle's life, whose chaos has been more or less manageable so far, is upended when writer and literary journalist Frida (Melanie Thierry) asks to witness one of her operations as research for a novel."

"there is a spark between them and soon they are having a passionate affair after some borderline ridiculous secret handholding at a promenade ballet production. It is only when Gabrielle goes along with Frida to interview a distinguished author that the film comes fully to life. The author is played by a nonprofessional, the Italian novelist Erri De Luca, whose unassuming reticence is the palate cleanser the film needs."

Gabrielle, a brilliant maxillofacial surgeon, manages budget cuts, scolds idle interns, and relies on her assistant Kamyar. At home, she navigates a difficult partnership with Henri, whose teen children she has raised while feeling his detachment and ingratitude. She also worries about her elderly mother Arlette as dementia advances. Her controlled chaos is upended when Frida, a writer and literary journalist, asks to witness an operation for research. A spark develops into a passionate affair, beginning with playful, slightly awkward moments. The film gains energy when Gabrielle interviews a distinguished author, portrayed by Erri De Luca, whose quiet presence refreshes the tone.

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