Marcelle Lean picked a real winner for her Cinefranco 2019 with this film about France’s adoption process.  The adoption process is shown here in all its complications and complexity with a whole lot of people involved in finding an adopted baby a good home.  PUPILLE unfolds non-chronologically as fiction though one can be sure that director Herry has done lots of research.  The story follows Theo, abandoned by his biological mother (Leila Muse) as Social Service strives through many applicants to find him a suitable and loving home. 

 The film reveals the various emotional states of everyone involved in the process from the mother, to the accepted new adoptive mother (Elodie Bouchez), to the social workers (3 of them) to the man (Gilles Lellouche) who looks after Theo before delivered to his final home.  Director has created both a heart warming and heart wrenching drama that will tug at ones emotions.  So, bring lots of Kleenex.  

 A few of the film’s parts are out of place like the emotional drama between two of the workers.  But given the film’s content, good intentions and research, PUPILLE deserves full marks.  (It has also 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing.) PUPILLE is the term given to the ward while under the care of France’s Social Services.  The film returns ones faith in the human race.  

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bx3DnPLI6U (ver francais)