Where to watch: ‘Jane by Charlotte’ opens this Friday, March 25th at the Landmark Westwood in Los Angeles and expands to additional cities in April. Available on Digital May 6th (Mother’s Day weekend).
As children, we tend to view our mothers as a special type of superwoman. Flawless and invincible. But as we grow up, we begin to see the woman behind the “mom” moniker as less of an infallible hero and more of a human being. Charlotte Gainsbourg crosses this threshold of awareness with such intimacy and grace in the documentary, Jane by Charlotte–a film dedicated to her mother, Jane Birkin.
Both accomplished women in their own right, Birkin and Gainsbourg’s relationship has been in the spotlight ever since Charlotte’s birth in 1971. Inheriting her father Serge’s famous surname, Charlotte followed her parents’ footsteps into the world of film and music–perhaps best known for starring in numerous Lars Von Trier films such as Nymphomaniac and Antichrist, as well as for releasing a number of albums like “Rest” and “5:55.”
But Charlotte’s accomplishments are never highlighted in the film, and neither are her mother’s. Rather, we’re given a peek behind the curtain of fame and notoriety as we, very candidly, get to bear witness to the quiet, introspective conversations between a mother and her daughter.
Gainsbourg uses her eye as both a director and a daughter to look at her mom like never before; to see her as an objective subject, and not subjectively as her mother. The duo converses in various settings: backstage at a photoshoot, and at the family’s childhood home. Topics are anything but dull. Throughout the film’s 88 minute runtime, they discuss aging, motherhood, beauty standards, failed marriages, grief, life & death.
In watching Jane by Charlotte, we witness a mother and daughter falling deeper in love (and understanding) with each other. The film is no doubt very personal, evidenced by its subject matter and production quality. It is not heavily produced; instead, it feels much more organic and natural. Full of poignancy and sentiment, there is a moment towards the end when Charlotte takes a beat and reflects on the fortunate position she finds herself in. “I want to make the most of this luck,” she says, “and make it last.”
A love letter to mothers and daughters everywhere, Jane by Charlotte encourages us to look at our loved ones with both admiration as well as compassion. After all, we’re all just human. Even our mothers.
88 min. Distributed by Utopia.
