My Zoe
| My Zoe | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Julie Delpy |
| Written by | Julie Delpy |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine |
| Edited by | Isabelle Devinck |
Production companies |
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Release date | |
| Countries | United Kingdom France |
My Zoe is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Julie Delpy. The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Platform Prize programme.[2]
Premise
Isabelle (Julie Delpy), a geneticist recovering from a toxic marriage, is raising her only daughter, Zoe, with her contentious ex-husband (Richard Armitage). Zoe means everything to her mother and so when tragedy strikes the fractured family, Isabelle uses her expertise to take matters into her own hands. As this mother’s love knows no bounds, Isabelle travels to Russia in seeking the help of a world-renowned fertility physician (Daniel Brühl) who Isabelle believes can help bring back her little girl.
Cast
- Julie Delpy as Isabelle Perrault-Lewis
- Gemma Arterton as Laura Fischer
- Daniel Brühl as Thomas Fischer
- Richard Armitage as James Lewis
- Sophia Ally as Zoe Perrault-Lewis
- Saleh Bakri as Anil Beser
- Lindsay Duncan as Kathy
- Lucas Prisor as Young Doctor
- Patrick Güldenberg as Professor Hoffman
- Jördis Triebel as Dr. Hazs
Production
Julie Delpy had begun conceptualising the film 20 years prior to the December 2016 announcement she was set to write, direct and star in the film, alongside Gemma Arterton, Daniel Brühl and Lior Ashkenazi. Richard Armitage and Sophia Ally were added in February 2017. Shooting was due to begin in the spring of that year, however development on the film stalled, and in December that year Delpy announced it was due to the film's major financier pulling out of the film in November, which she referred to as being for sexist reasons.[3][4][5]
New financing was found by the time filming began in May 2018, with Saleh Bakri and Lindsay Duncan added to the cast.[6]
Release and reception
The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the prestigious Platform Prize program.[2]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 5.52/10.[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8] IndieWire raved that “Delpy’s ability to believe in both her audience and her wild story remains compelling throughout the film... Delpy earns every minute of the story, one that shows off her ability (and desire) mix things up with a fresh eye.”[9]
References
- ^ https://www.tiff.net/events/my-zoe
- ^ a b "Toronto Adds Sarah Gavron's 'Rocks,' Julie Delpy's 'My Zoe'". The Hollywood Reporter, August 7, 2019.
- ^ "Julie Delpy Writes, Directs, Stars In Emotional Parenting Drama ‘My Zoe’ With Gemma Arterton & Daniel Brühl". Deadline Hollywood, December 1, 2016.
- ^ "Richard Armitage Joins Julie Delpy’s ‘My Zoe’ — Berlin". Deadline Hollywood, February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Julie Delpy Says "Sexist" Financier Pulled Out of Her Film 'My Zoe' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter, December 8, 2017.
- ^ "First look at Daniel Brühl, Gemma Arterton in Julie Delpy's 'My Zoe'". Screen Daily, May 30, 2018.
- ^ "My Zoe (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "My Zoe Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "'My Zoe' Review: Julie Delpy Tackles a Tricky, Twisted Thriller Masquerading as a Domestic Drama – IndieWire". www.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.