Just a Sigh
Gabriel Byrne • 1h 45m
Directed by Jerome Bonnel • Drama • With Emmanuelle Devos, Gabriel Byrne • 2017 • 105 minutes
In the short break between performances in Calais, stage actress Alix, played by the stunning Emmanuelle Devos (Desplechin's CHRISTMAS TALE), makes a quick escape to Paris. On the train, she meets a mysterious English stranger. Drawn toward him, she follows him, loves him, for a few hours, before facing what could be a new life. With masterful performances by Devos and her acclaimed co-star Gabriel Byrne, JUST A SIGH is an imaginative and lushly filmed Parisian romance.
Young and versatile director Jerome Bonnell (LE CHIGNON D'OLGA) tells a real-time story with a particular sense for detail. Reminiscent of Francois Truffaut's THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, the film captures vivid insights of a burning love evolving between two characters, wonderfully brought together by Bonnell's down-to-earth approach. JUST A SIGH captures an irrational, sentimental encounter balanced between the extremes of elopement and routine, with breathtaking psychological intrigue.
"Critic's Pick! A contemporary Gallic BRIEF ENCOUNTER. Beautifully acted! Intimate and persuasive! ... The chemistry between Ms. Devos and Mr. Byrne is heated in a sadder-but-wiser, grown-up way."—The New York Times