Beautifully written and acted, The Ties that bind us examines unconventional family bonds

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Carine Tardieu’s The Ties that bind us is a moving portrait of unconventional family structures and human connection. It’s showing at the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025.

In this adaptation of Alice Ferney’s novel “L’intimité”, Sandra (Valeria Bruni-Tadeschi, Anaïs in Love, AFFFF 2022) is thrust into the orbit of her neighbours’ family when in the middle of the night, her neighbour goes into labour and asks if she can look after their son Elliott (César Botti) while she and her husband Alex (Pio Marmaï, The Three Musketeers I & II, AF FFF24, Felicità, BIFF 2020) go to hospital. Their plan A is uncontactable and they need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

With little option to say no, Sandra takes Elliott in. When his mother dies after childbirth, Sandra finds herself drawn closer to Elliott and Alex, particularly as Elliott often wanders across the hall to talk to her. Fiercely independent, marriage and children are things Sandra has never wanted or envisaged, yet she can’t help but form a bond with Elliott and Alex.

Elliott is a child wise beyond his years – when his father tells him he needs to tell him something about his mother, he replies “is she dead?”. He worries that Alex may love baby Lucille more than he loves him, because Alex is not actually his birth Dad.

The passage of time is shown through milestone ages in baby Lucille’s life from 1 day to 1 week, from 1 month right through to 2 years of age. The ages pop up on the screen like chapter titles. They serve to structure the narrative, guiding the audience through the evolving bond between the characters. Each milestone subtly marks shifts in their emotions, relationships, and circumstances, allowing us to witness the gradual transformation of their lives.

Valeria Bruni-Tadeschi delivers an exceptional performance as Sandra, the neighbour who becomes unexpectedly entangled in the grief-stricken family’s world. Her portrayal is deeply nuanced, capturing Sandra’s internal struggle as she grapples with her burgeoning emotional connection to the family.

Pio Marmaï is remarkable as the grieving father suddenly thrown into a world of sole parenthood, tasked with raising both a child and a baby while navigating his own profound sorrow. His performance is rich with emotional depth, as he conveys the delicate balance between vulnerability and strength. It’s wonderful to see how Pio Marmaï has developed as an actor, moving from comedic roles in Felicità and A Difficult Year to the more serious and sombre role of Alex in The Ties that bind us.

Raphaël Quenard (also in Beating Hearts at this year’s festival, November, Smoking causes coughing, and Final Cut all from AFFFF 2023) is also in a more serious role as Alex’s birth father, David. In this role, he delivers a nuanced portrayal of a man confronting the emotional complexities of fatherhood, balancing vulnerability and responsibility with quiet intensity. His performance highlights the depth of David’s journey, offering a compelling shift from his usual comedic roles.

With The ties that bind us, Carine Tardieu has crafted a poignant drama that explores the intricate ways we bond with others. Family does not only come in the form of a couple (or a single parent) and their children and love can come in many forms. The film is bolstered by exceptional performances from Pio Marmaï and Valeria Bruni-Tadeschi.

If you like heartfelt, character-driven dramas that explore the complexities of human relationships, The Ties That Bind Us is for you. The film offers a tender portrayal of grief, family, and the unexpected bonds that can form in times of crisis, challenging traditional notions of family and love.

4 CROISSANTS

Matilda Marseillaise watched a screener of this film.

The Ties that bind us was released in France in February 2025 under the title L’attachement.

KEY INFO FOR THE ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FILM FESTIVAL 2025

WHAT: Alliance Française French Film Festival 2025

WHERE & WHEN:

19/03 – 23/04 – ADELAIDE
06/03 – 08/04 – BRISBANE
06/03 – 02/04 – BALLARAT, VIC
08/03 – 02/04 – BALLINA, NSW
11/03 – 13/03 – BENDIGO, VIC
07/03 – 02/04 – BYRON BAY, NSW
06/03 – 09/04 – CANBERRA
25/03 – 15/04 – GOLD COAST
03/04 – 13/04 – HOBART
05/03 – 09/04 – MELBOURNE
03/04 – 06/04 – MOUNT GAMBIER, SA
13/03 – 16/04 – PERTH
26/03 – 31/03 – RENMARK, SA
04/03 – 09/04 – SYDNEY
02/04 – 09/04 – VICTOR HARBOR, SA
04/03 – 06/04 – PARRAMATTA, NSW
10/04 – 13/04 – BUNBURY, WA
12/04 – 21/04 – WARRAWONG, NSW