La Promesse de l'aube

Romain Gary's Promise at Dawn is a rewrite of the Goncourt Prize-winning autobiography of the same name. Charlotte Gainsbourg beautifully plays the role of a loving mother who, although destitute, raises her son with only the best future in mind for him. Beautiful are the chapters from pre-war Poland, the setting of Paul Poiret in the plot, Ivan Mozzhukhin served as a male role model for a change, and even though our hero was Jewish, he lived through the war without all the clichés that a viewer familiar with the period context might fear. (21/07/2021)

I have to admit, I knew nothing about Romain Gary until now. His life story feels like it was ripped straight from an adventure novel. The experiences he went through are more than most people would face in three lifetimes. Compressing all of that into a single film is quite the feat, and I never found myself bored. Those times crafted so many incredible stories, and this one definitely deserved its own spotlight. Charlotte Gainsbourg is fantastic, and Pierre Niney, playing the bon vivant Romain, definitely holds his own. A very captivating film. (11/11/2023)

Eric Barbier has brilliantly transposed this autobiographical novel by writer and war hero Romain Gary into movie form, and the amazing Charlotte Gainsbourg literally breathed life into his mother with her brilliant performance. However, it should be noted that Pierre Niney also handled the role of her beloved son perfectly. I really enjoyed the humorous detachment with which this powerful human story was told. (85%) (12/08/2022)