Rétro Thérapie by Élodie Lélu is a film full of good intentions, and could almost serve to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, and yet, it does not convince.
In this film, Yvonne, a former lawyer and feminist activist, has Alzheimer’s. Her granddaughter and her son-in-law will have to move in with her, which she is not happy about. Yvonne, confused, will mistake her granddaughter-Manon, for her daughter Colette, who died. Manon, a 16-year-old teenager, will play the game, and begins to resemble her mother whom she never knew, which will disturb her father. She will learn more about the lives of her mother and grandmother, while she is questioning her life, feminism, and her own family history.
This is a first fiction feature film for director Élodie Lélu, who in 2019 signed the documentary Letter to Théo, in homage to her mentor, the Greek director Théo Angelopoulos. Rétro Thérapie features endearing characters and brings together a trio of very convincing actors. Hélène Vincent is extraordinary as a tireless feminist activist who loses her memory, Fantine Harduin, as a teenager feeling uncomfortable in her skin who transforms into a feminist activist, is very accurate and Olivier Gourmet, as the sales king of the food processor, is excellent.
Despite the good distribution, the film lacks rhythm and does not convince. We get lost between the different subjects covered: the difficulties of growing old with Alzheimer’s disease, the transmission of memories, the awakening of feminism which passes from grandmother to granddaughter, adolescence, flaws of the father and family reconciliations. This Belgium-Canada-France co-production has the merit of tackling the difficult subject of Alzheimer’s disease with finesse and a certain lightness. The film remains pleasant to watch, but nothing more.
