The past is a road we see reflected in our rear view mirror while the future is a hazy destination on the horizon.
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Aurore (Agnès Jaoui) is a 50-year-old French woman whose life is at the crossroads of her past and future. She lives with her two daughters, Lucie and Marine, one of whom is pregnant and the other is in the throes of a relationship with a young man, Tim, that goes awry.
Aurore’s working life is in the midst of upheaval, with her position as a waitress at a café on the verge of disruption when a new owner buys the café and decides to bring in new routines that upset the existing staff.
One of these changes involves giving people new names that, according to the new owner, resound as more “sexy” with the clients. As a result, Aurore finds herself rechristened Samantha and then the diminutive Sam.
The last thing she needs as she deals with her personality crisis is a new name.
On top of all that, Aurore is having hot flushes.
When a chance meeting with her school sweetheart, Totoche, rekindles emotions long forgotten, she doesn’t know whether she is ready for life’s scrapheap or has a chance at a new start with Totoche.
Of course, it’s not all her decision. Totoche is uncertain about reigniting his passion for Aurore because she broke his heart when they were young and, at his age, he doesn’t want to be hurt again.
Aurore learns that previous choices affect future prospects. She and Totoche learn that when you lose everything, you realise what is most important in life. Decisions, then, become clearer.
The film charts Aurore’s conflicting emotions and irrational behaviour as she considers her personal and professional options, navigates her way through both daughters’ emotional conundrums and attempts to salvage long-lost relationships.
She is guided and gets support from her close friend, Mano, and ex-husband, Nanar. Both characters add spice and humour to the mix.
Mano enjoys playing pranks on strangers without considering the impact they might have.
The pranks and their consequences are setups for unexpected encounters that create surprising light-hearted moments for the audience.
Aurore has already made choices that, for better or for worse, had consequences and now she must make new decisions, without knowing whether they will give her a smooth ride for the coming years or carry her across bumpy and unpredictable terrain.
What appears on the surface to be an ordinary film about everyday dilemmasbecomes a caring observation of a human being charting an uncertain path for the rest of her life journey.
