La femme de Gilles

The demure heroine of Frédéric Fonteyne's Gilles' Wife is every bit as loyal and self-effacing as the movie's title implies. In a 1930s French industrial town, Elisa (Emmanuelle Devos) lives in connubial bliss with her steelworker hubby Gilles (Clovis Cornillac) and their twin daughters. A tireless super-housewife, Elisa cooks, cleans, sews, and retains enough energy to indulge Gilles's robust sexual appetite, which includes morning fucks and ample groping. Their domestic paradise comes to an unexpected end with the revelation of Gilles's infidelity, which throws Elisa into a spiral of self-doubt. Fearful that Gilles will ultimately leave her, Elisa permits him to carry on, thus establishing the extremely fine line between her role as forgiving saint and willing doormat.

by David Ng November 15th