The Passengers of the Night

This year’s most expressive Paris romance comes from a family drama with retro Rohmer vibes and a Charlotte Gainsbourg at her best as a recently divorced mother of teens and companion to all of France’s night owls.

It is election night in France in 1981 and the winds of change are blowing. Even for Elisabeth (Gainsbourg), a recent divorcée who must find a new way to support her two teenage kids. Out of the loop when it comes to her qualifications on the job market after more than a decade as a housewife, she applies for a job at a late-night radio show. It turns out she has a talent for welcoming other lost souls seeking a safe harbor. One night a teenager adrift, Talulah, steps into the studio and Elisabeth takes her under her wing. She then introduces Talulah to her tightly knit family trio. Mikaël Hers’s follows up his critically acclaimed Amanda (2018) with a charming drama about everyday life. With enchanting cinematography and a well-chosen soundtrack with hits from Kim Wilde, Joe Dassin, and John Cale, Hers resurrects the Paris of the eighties.

• Annie Karlsson