Written and directed by Jasmin Gordon, co-written by Julien Bouissoux, in a small town on the edge of wild country, an eccentric and delinquent mother has had enough of the rules. Crushed by her mistakes and by a society that doesn’t give a damn – or a second chance – to people like her, she’ll do anything to prove to her children, and to herself, that she still is a good person. Starring: Ophélia Kolb, Paul Besnier, Arthur Devaux and Jasmine Kalisz Saurer.
Stories like The Courageous provide fantastic examples of how strong and resilient children can be and how broken, lost and desperate adults can be. The combination of the two always provides for tense, pensive and touching viewing. Especially as Jasmin Gordon makes a fantastic effort to not tell this story from a singular perspective but strongly from both that of the children (Paul Besnier, Arthur Devaux, Jasmine Kalisz Saurer) and of the mother (Ophélia Kolb). You get the naivety, trust and love of the children, as well as the panic, flailing but again, love of the mother.
It’s a messy situation and is brought to life so well by the leading quartet of actors, who very convincingly build this little family. Ophélia Kolb does a great job of capturing that feeling of being trapped by her situation, finding no good options or avenues to provide the life for her children that she wants to, leading her to constantly regress and put things at risk. All while Paul Besnier, Arthur Devaux and Jasmine Kalisz Saurer give these truly sweet and earnest performances, instilling strong loyalty in their characters, believing their mother will come through in the end.
The directorial style and cinematography (by Andi Widmer) match that energy excellently. It’s contemplative and has a nice intensity, it’s not subtle but it is still fairly understated. Jasmin Gordon’s most effective and affective scenes live within that emotional realm and keeps the explosiveness and conflict to only what’s needed. Gordon creates a good balance between the family connection and the chaotic nature of their situation, however it ultimately feels like it doesn’t get very far. There isn’t a great deal of progression, meaning the ending lacks a bigger punch, particularly when it’s left fairly open.
The Courageous showcases some wonderful performances, it’s well shot and has a strong emotional foundation but, in the end, feels like it mostly traverses the same ground. There’s a great air of impending disaster that constantly lingers over this family, with their unpredictable mother liable to throw everything into chaos at any moment. Gordon nicely captures the impact that has on the children, which the young actors portray excellently alongside Kolb. There’s a lot of great ingredients at work, but the lack of progression holds it back.
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