Mr Morgan’s Last Love

Set in rural Paris, Mr Morgan’s Last Love is a melancholy but sweet tale of Matthew Morgan (Michael Caine) and Pauline Laubie (Clémence Poésy), two slightly lonely individuals who strike up a friendship a few years after Morgan’s wife passes away. The film is based on Francoise Dorner’s novel La Douceur Assassine, with German film director and screenwriter Sandra Nettelbeck adapting the novel into a screenplay and directing the film itself.

The film takes a while to get the off the ground, and is reasonably slow paced throughout, but has some truly heartwarming moments and includes some stunning scenery and buildings. The title of Mr Morgan’s Last Love gives a slightly misleading impression that Matthew and Pauline will form a romantic relationship, but the plot revolves more around their friendship, and themes of family and bereavement. The exploration of the characters and their relationships is almost a little too subtle at times, but poignant nevertheless, and Matthew’s imagined interactions with his late wife are heartbreaking to watch. Also touched upon are the often fraught connection between parent and child, the ups and downs of romantic relationships and misunderstood friendships; all twined together by the meeting of a dance teacher and a widower with many life regrets.

Caine and Poésy both perform admirably and build a sweet relationship throughout the film, and supporting characters Gillian Anderson and Justin Kirk are great in their roles as Morgan’s slightly bitter children left behind in America. The performances of the cast save a slightly dull script, and although the lulls between the main plot points feel quite weary at times, the general debate throughout the film about the worthiness of life makes for an effective emotional impact upon the viewer. The film will probably resonate more with the older generation, but is still touching regardless of the viewer’s age and life experience – it has something everyone can relate to.

Amy McLelland

Mr Morgan’s Last Love is released nationwide on 11^th July 2014.

Watch the trailer for Mr Morgan’s Last Love here: