Vicky Krieps inspires in queer social drama « Love Me Tender »

Is a mother selfish because she doesn’t want to give up and want to shape her life according to her wishes? This question runs like a guide through Vicky Krieps’ new film « Love Me Tender ».

The feminist social drama in the director Anna Czenave Cambet celebrated its premiere at the Cannes film festival on Tuesday evening in the « Un Certain Regard » series-and even received some standing ovation. Something that is not entirely unusual with « Un Certain Regard » ideas.

Krieps takes on the leading role here: The Luxembourg actress embodies a former lawyer named Clémence, who not only breaks out from her marriage to Laurent (Antoine Reinartz), but also turns on her whole life.

Your dream is to publish books. It does not want to conduct conventional existence, but just be happy. And she seems to be looking for this happiness in relationships with other women – and partly to be found.

Her son Paul (Viggo Ferreira-Redier), however, suffers from the separation of his parents-especially because Laurent ensures that Clémence is no longer allowed to see her child together. But the determined, stubborn woman fights for her rights as a mother and goes to her mental limits.

The focus is on a broken fighter

« We are women, we never give up, » says a mother of triple to Clémence when they meet in a social institution – where the rare and supervised meetings between her and Paul take place. In “Love Me Tender”, Anna Czenave Cambet, who also wrote the script, shows not only the lengthy processes with which parents are confronted in the fight for the custody of their children.

Rather, she illustrates that same -sex relationships are still not accepted in all social classes even in the 21st century – especially not if, as in the case of Clémence, the woman was previously traveling with men and mother. In this way, Clémence is even called « sick » in the film, it is considered abnormal.

At least from the perspective of Laurents, who embodies the toxic man with an outdated worldview and wants to play Paul against his mother. His ex-wife’s lifestyle even disgusts him. In contrast, the character Vicky Krieps’. This is considered a symbol for (world) openness, the modern zeitgeist and the strength of the female gender.

At the same time, they shape the tireless struggle for the favor of their son and the intrigue of their ex-husband so much that they poison their own relationships. Clémence is broken inside, her life is overshadowed by deep grief.

Price for Luxembourg in prospect?

« Love Me Tender », which was co -produced by Vicky Krieps’ in 2022 in Luxembourg Viktoria Productions, brings a lot of new canvas neither stylistically nor narrative. But the approximately two -hour drama, in which the focus is on a complex female figure and that tries to break with taboos around motherhood and self -fulfillment, touches on several levels.

For example, in the scenes full of ecstasy, in which Clémence consolation is looking for fleeting love affairs or in those intimate, sensual moments when the camera focuses entirely on the mother and her son. But as distant as Clémance is in her relationships with other women, her own son keeps closing in front of her.

It is the voice of Clémence who, in retrospect, tells and commented on her experiences, sometimes the viewers are catapulted directly into the action.

Vicky Krieps you have Since her performance in Marie Kreutzer’s « Corsage »for which she was awarded the best leading actress in Cannes in Cannes in the « Un Certain Regard » series as the best leading actress. She largely puts her rather mediocre to convincing performances in past films such as « Hot Milk », « The Wall » or « The Dead Don’t Hurt ».

In « Love Me Tender » it is only to a limited extent their words that leave the reverberation. Rather, as so often, it is their movements, their facial expressions, especially their gaze, who speak for their figure, who are authentically wearing their emotions.

And who knows, maybe the Luxembourg actress will get another prize in the « Un Certain Regard » series in Cannes this Friday.