Armand

Armand’s mother (Renate Reinsve) is summoned to her son’s school for an emergency meeting. After considerable hemming and hawing, and a delay waiting for another boy’s parents, a teacher discloses that the six-year-old is accused of having sexually harassed his best friend.

The Norwegian feature makes for an astonishingly assertive directorial debut by Halfdan Olav Ullmann Tøndel (the grandson of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman). Armand focuses primarily on the parents, largely sidelining the children, to expose how often the truly affected parties matter little and only solidified opinions are argued.

True to the Scandinavian cinema the world has come to love, the screenplay is infused with unexpected humour, mocking the awkwardness of the situation without trivialising the alleged act. The action unfolds largely within the same day and location. What begins with the tones of a thriller, aiming to unravel a heinous and heartbreaking offense, gradually transforms, adopting a more metaphorical language as the conflict deepens.

After a double bill at the Berlinale (Another End, A Different Man) and premiering Handling the Undead at Sundance, 2024 has become the year of Renate Reinsve. The emotional rollercoaster of her part in Armand amounts to the most striking performance of the 77th edition of Cannes – unfortunately due to the film running in a side section, it is not eligible for the Best Actress Palme. Instinctive stress responses and emotional discrepancies have rarely been captured this detailed and true-to-life on film. Despite evidently born out of feeling defenceless and not a state of elation, Reinsve’s minute-long laughing fit proved contagious at the film’s premiere, before her eruption into tears struck an equally empathetic chord.

While the gradual mood shift in Armand may not resonate with all viewers, the film’s acknowledgment of the complex emotions that accompany personal crises, coupled with its emphatic performances, make it a marvellous addition to the recent emergence of classroom drama.

Selina Sondermann

Armand does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Cannes Film Festival 2024 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Cannes Film Festival website here.

Watch a clip from Armand here: