10/10
A letter, love, heartbreak
30 September 2023
An unforgettable film in the way it explores a quiet sense of longing.

I saw I Sent a Letter to My Love so many years ago when it first came out. And it is one of those movies that will haunt you years after you've seen it.

Louise (Simone Signoret) and Gilles (Jean Rochefort) are two older, single siblings, he crippled and in a wheel chair. They are living together in their parents house with little to do other than talking and bickering with each other. They're joined each morning by Yvette (Delphine Seyrig), the daughter of the baker, who come to deliver their daily bread.

Then one day Louise decides to place a lonely hearts ad in the local paper. Much to her surprise and initial humor, she gets a reply from her own brother. From there, matters just unfold as the two, one knowingly and the other not, start a rather torrid correspondence.

The film is simple in its setting, on the beautiful French coast and in the simple home of Louise and Gille, while being extremely deep in a visual manner of exploring longing in those who have many regrets or unrealized expectations. Signoret is breathtaking in her appearance and her acting while she is fully supported by outstanding work from Rochefort and Seyrig.

Quite simply a stunning film.
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