There is something inherently interesting about watching a movie about someone creating a bond with a child from a parental perspective. Considering, I for one have never been remotely interesting in having one of my own. On that note though, I do understand the want and almost inherited need for fulfilment to want that sense of family that some people can only have by being a parent. When the topic is done it can be done masterfully or can be a rather hot mess. In the case of Rebecca Zlotowski’s newest film Other People’s Children explores that deeply personal connection. One that far succeeds the romantic interest with the person they’re seeing. And it focuses more on the new found relationship with the concept of having their own family more than anything. And the child they could potentially call their own.

The film focuses on Rachel (Virginie Efira) whose dating life has been a mess as of late. She is letting her biological clock get the best of her. She is a middle school teacher who absolutely loves what she does, and clearly cares about her students, but deep down would like to have a child of her own. Someone she can form into someone she could be proud of instead of just trying to do right by her students.

However, one day at her guitar lessons she meets Ali (Roschdy Zem) and they hit things off spectacularly. She discovers shortly after that Ali has a daughter, Leila (Callie Ferreira-Goncalves) and she immediately creates a loving bond with Leila. Even though at their initial meeting, Leila is hesitant and a little distant from Rachel, they do develop a relationship. However, the biggest obstacle lies within Alice (Chiara Mastroianni), Ali’s ex-wife and Leila’s biological mother as she is too often in and out of the picture, leading towards tension for Rachel trying to become Leila’s ‘new’ mother.

What works exceptionally well in Other People’s Children is the story that Zlotowski crafts that plays as a delicate balance. That balance is between a character trying to have this relationship while balancing her desires to have a child while realizing her biological clock may be telling her otherwise. It is a real fear thing that does happen in the real world, most likely all too often. One where people just cannot find the right person to be with, and their biological clock keeps ticking.

And eventually, it becomes an internal fight for what desires one wants to fulfil. Rachel can either a meaningful relationship or have a child of own flesh and blood possibly but without that relationship. The movie touches on that last part briefly. However, it mainly focuses on the desire of our protagonist to want a child of their own. And the realization that comes especially when desires blind us. Those desires make us miss things that are staring us right in our face.

Moreover though, Other People’s Children is a vehicle for Virginie Efira to shine and she manages to shine so bright. Any brighter and the audiences would literally be blind. She is unquestionably a force to be reckoned with. She delivers a grounded performance that shatters and rebuilds its audience through her journey. And she shows the audience that not everything has to be pretty and packaged neatly. Life gets messy but eventually, maybe it finds a way. Her performance, above all else, is reason enough to seek out Other People’s Children. She’s why you give it your full undivided attention as the performance is simply remarkable.

While the story and direction that Zlotowski brings to the forefront in Other People’s Children is thought provoking and highlights a delicate balance, it can be slightly melodramatic. However, the melodrama doesn’t outweight what it does say. And the performance that Virginie Efira delivers more than outweighs any short comings in the story. It is a vehicle that lets her shine, and everything else surrounding it can fall to the wayside.