The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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New Beginnings
Comedy · Romance · 2023
Alain and Diane have been together for 30 years. In his mind, Alain is still 30 years old. But the equation 30 years of routine feelings, empty nest (and incidentally a job where being 50 is like an incurable disease) creates a much less euphoric effect for Diane. She oscillates between depression and free fall - and the first one who says "hormonal" she smokes. Alain loves Diane like crazy and love is proof. He's going to do something crazy for her, something to make her feel vital again, to make her heart beat and youthfulness pulsate. The crazy thing? Leave her. The risk with electroshock ? Unknown: either it wakes up or it burns. They will take it, with their eyes closed.
Movie details
New Beginnings
2023 Comedy · Romance 1h 36m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
5.7 / 10
658 votes
TMDB
5.9 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
Alain and Diane have been together for 30 years. In his mind, Alain is still 30 years old. But the equation 30 years of routine feelings, empty nest (and incidentally a job where being 50 is like an incurable disease) creates a much less euphoric effect for Diane. She oscillates between depression and free fall - and the first one who says "hormonal" she smokes. Alain loves Diane like crazy and love is proof. He's going to do something crazy for her, something to make her feel vital again, to make her heart beat and youthfulness pulsate. The crazy thing? Leave her. The risk with electroshock ? Unknown: either it wakes up or it burns. They will take it, with their eyes closed.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over New Beginnings?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Chasing Papi
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Easy Virtue
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Philippe Lefebvre
Written by
Philippe Lefebvre · Maria Pourchet
Franck Dubosc
Alain
Karin Viard
Diane
Tom Leeb
Stéphane
Clotilde Courau
Jeanne
Youssef Hajdi
Erwan
Louise Orry-Diquéro
Juliette
Clémentine Baert
Agathe
Court is in session
Put New Beginnings on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.