Absolutely fantastic portrayal of three different stories; the main character, a Senegalese woman accused of killing her own infant; a senegalese journalist covering the trial; and the trial itself. A slow, but steady and original storytelling; with beautiful cinematography. I see many don’t appreciate. I suppose you will know whether you are the kind of person to distinguish diamonds from broken glass. If not; pick the glass.

The deliberate underplaying of the drama is interesting, even as it tests your patience.

I walked out of the movie theatre. It was so boring. Just a court case, people narrating the events, no action or enrichment of the story.

This film, is a little gem, a masterpiece of movie-making: * The camera work is superb. * The sober discipline in treating the delicate topic of infanticide avoid well melodrama. * Every actor is from very good, to excellent, with special mention for the defendant's attorney and the judge. * The special attention, the story gives to the cultural differences between africa and Europe, is in my view very good. Did I say I liked this film :-) ? Andre G.

Saint Omer builds up in a captivating way only to end up unfocused and distracting. The film ends ambiguously which works, but co-writer and director Alice Diop decides to interject a different narrative from the trial. It almost entirely ruined the film for me. Lost are some good performances in the long stretches of silence in a film that is way too long. Stick with the trial and this could have been great. Final Score: 3.8/10

Spectacular, brilliant picture of a woman

I didn't manage to be interested in the film at all... However, the actresses are really fabulous.

Excruciating. There must be hundreds of movies which depict the difficulties of being a poor lonely woman in a strange culture an awful lot better and with more empathy. Slow, pretentious confusing and ultimately difficult to believe. I could go on.

Saint Omer is an at times masterful film, compelling mostly but also at times slightly misguided. Alice Diop is a French filmmaker of Senegalese descent who is primarily a documentarian. This is her first feature film and it's based on a true story. An agonising story to be sure. Laurence Coly is a student and Senegalese immigrant who is on trial for the death of her 15 month old daughter. Rama, a journalist, is covering the trial and sees similarities in their lives. She is pregnant and is also of African descent. The trial hinges on whether Laurence was of sound mind before and after her pregnancy. It also looks at the cultural differences between Africa and Europe. It's all handled quite well and the film grows in intensity through out. Its slight downfall I thought was the story of Rama. It never felt aligned to the central story for me. But it's an intriguing film and very powerful at times. Definitely worth a look, even with its quite slow pace.

Saint Omer is a 2022 French legal drama film directed by Alice Diop and starring Kayije Kagame and Guslagie Malanda. It is based on the true story of Fabienne Kabou, a mother who left her 15-month-old daughter on a beach to be drowned by the tide in 2013. The film follows Rama (Kagame), a pregnant novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Malanda), the fictionalized version of Kabou, to write a modern adaptation of the ancient Greek myth of Medea, who killed her children to punish her unfaithful husband. Saint Omer is a powerful and nuanced exploration of the complex issues of motherhood, immigration, identity, and justice. Diop, known for her documentaries, brings a realistic and empathetic approach to the story, avoiding sensationalism and judgment. She also attended the real trial of Kabou in 2016, which inspired her to make the film. The film does not attempt to justify or condemn Coly's actions but rather to understand her motivations and circumstances. The story is divided into two parts: the first one focuses on Rama's perspective as she observes the trial and interviews Coly in prison, while the second one shifts to Coly's flashback as she recounts her life in France and Senegal, her relationship with her partner and daughter, and her mental state leading up to the crime. The film contrasts Rama and Coly to highlight their similarities and differences as women of Senegalese origin living in France. Both face racism, sexism, isolation, and pressure from their families and society but have different privileges, opportunities, and choices. The movie also draws parallels between Coly's story and the Medea myth, showing how both women are driven by love, betrayal, anger, and despair to commit an unthinkable act. The film uses references to Medea throughout, such as the names of the characters (Rama is an anagram of Mara, Medea's sister), the locations (Berck is similar to Corinth, where Medea killed her children), and the dialogue (Coly quotes lines from Euripides' play). The film also shows how Rama uses the myth to cope with her fears and doubts about becoming a mother. Saint-Omer features excellent performances from the two lead actresses, who convey a range of emotions with subtlety and intensity. Kagame portrays Rama as a smart, ambitious woman who is also vulnerable and conflicted. Malanda portrays Coly as a tragic and complex figure who elicits sympathy and horror. The film also has a strong technical aspect, with beautiful cinematography by Claire Mathon (who also shot Portrait of a Lady on Fire), an atmospheric score by Thibault Deboaisne, and tight editing by Amrita David. The one thing that undermines the greatness of Saint-Omer is the pacing. The first time I watched the film, I found the pacing unbearable. But, I decided to see it a second time, embraced the slowness, and found I was noticing aspects of the story I had missed the first time. I think, though, that the pacing will be a challenge for some viewers. Saint Omer is a film that challenges us to think beyond the headlines and stereotypes and confront our biases and assumptions. The film raises questions without giving easy answers and invites empathy without condoning violence. It is a film that shows how art can be a way to deal with trauma and pain and how it can be insufficient or inadequate. It is a film that was with me long after it ended — the second time around.

ooh another social commentary where when you peel the whole thing back, the bad guys are of course white people, never mind what actions the characters do, its all unimportant , a vehicle to push forth the narrative, white folks are always the root cause of bad deeds by others

Truely terrible movie over long self indulgent and in the end pointless. The final denunciation would be laughable if it wasn't so unintelligent and glib. I blame the producers for funding it.

As much as I wanted to like the film, I found it frustratingly half-baked, with an under-developed main character, Rama, whose tenuous connection to Coly, the defendant, not fully explored, as well as intimations of the supernatural, or possibly a mental breakdown in the courthouse, taking over Rama's emotional; state of mind. Too many loose threads are left hanging without being woven together to create a cohesive and fulfilling dramatic experience. Diop's film is an ambitious one whose ideas exceed her reach.

Dreadfully dull. Interesting premise, but it went nowhere. Spoiler alert -- the main question of the trial is not resolved. Left hanging. For the most part, emotionless performances. Long silent shots of people doing nothing. Or long stretches where nothing happens. Courtroom scenes were plain boring. The only interesting scene was the defense attorney's summation. (And you don't even see the prosecuting attorney's summation.) I fell asleep twice.

The most compelling courtroom drama of the last 25 years, at least.

Oversold. Just a hype. The plot is all over.

Very personal account of the disparities in French law and magnifying glass on an outsider looking in. Solid film

Intense and terrific!

A fine example of cinematic minimalism. Diops decision to emphasize the drama and ignore the dramatic pays dividends, with simply staged—but startlingly effective—courtroom scenes juxtaposed with a quietly touching relationship that grows between an academic spectator and the mother of the defendant, who is a mother accused of killing her 15-month-old.

This was the second French movie that made it to my U.S. theater and it likely will be the last I see. If this is one of the best French culture has to offer, they need to get out of the business.