14 Days, 12 Nights (Jean- Philippe Duval, 2018): Canada

Reviewed by Lily Papke. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2020.

14 Days, 12 Nights (14 Jours, 12 Nuits) is a Canadian film that was realized in 2018 directed by Jean-Phillip Duval. It is spoken in French yet filmed in Vietnam. It is an emotional story about a 50 something year old adoptive mother named Isabelle Brodeur, played by Anne Dorval. It follows her travels from Canada to Vietnam after her Vietnamese daughter passes away from a motorcycle accident. An opportunity arises that would allow Isabelle to meet a side of her daughter she had never known before, literally and figuratively. Through the streets and countryside of Vietnam, this film tells a touching story of acceptance and grief.

This film was executed extremely well for one with a lowish budget. The camera quality along with the cinematography was beautiful. The wide shots of Vietnam were a gorgeous touch. The editing was simple and precise which allowed me to focus more on the story being told rather than a movie with dense editing. The acting was great, when someone cried it felt like they were actually experiencing what was happening and were truly crying. The only thing that threw me off about the movie was the music. It was very eerie and made me feel unsettled whenever it was played. I constantly thought something bad was going to happen. However this could have been a technique they used to put the audience in Isabelle’s shoes.

Credits to the location manager Denis Paquette who did a fantastic job finding beautiful scenery/houses in Vietnam and also in Canada. The Canadian house is surrounded by white snow and an ocean filled with large waves. To me this represents the cold harshness of what had taken place when her daughter passes away. The green all around Vietnam makes me think of a fresh start and a new life for the mother once she can accept the death.

I recommend watching this movie because it has such a well written plot with multiple layers embedded into it. It is a great quality film and throughly surprised me!