“Those Who Matter”: Sandrine Kiberlain and Pierre Lottin at the heart of a wealthy family

With Those Who Count, in theaters March 25, Jean-Baptiste Leonetti delivers a dramedy that walks a delicate line: depicting precariousness without crushing it with pathos, filming fragility without stripping the characters of their whimsy or their pride. Anchored by a superb duo of Sandrine Kiberlain and Pierre Lottin, the film tells less of a romance than a slow reconciliation between two damaged souls, and how a fractured family can come together where it was least expected.

A mother standing, a man standing back

Rose raises her three children alone in a run-down, former hotel, constantly relying on resourcefulness and a will to survive. She refuses to be defined by poverty and maintains, even in adversity, a kind of defiant spirit. Jean, on the other hand, lives apart, withdrawn into himself, as if he has chosen to reduce his presence in the world to the bare minimum. Their initially accidental encounter gradually shifts the boundaries between them.

What the film achieves from the outset is its ability to give Rose an unpredictable, almost explosive presence. Sandrine Kiberlain lends her a freedom of expression, an irony, and an audacity that prevent the character from becoming a mere symbol of maternal courage. Opposite her, Pierre Lottin portrays a more opaque, discreet man, yet one who is deeply touching in his way of remaining on the margins. Their duo works through contrast: she overflows, he restrains; she invents, he observes; she leads, he ultimately follows.

A humane film, without miserabilism

Jean-Baptiste Leonetti films this small family unit without resorting to heavy-handed dialogue. The children aren't mere silhouettes around the adults: each exists with their own way of absorbing the situation, navigating between worry, anger, or silent adaptation. The film thus takes the time to show how a precarious balance still holds, however precariously, thanks to everyday gestures, small strategies, and the words spoken to avoid succumbing to despair.

Those Who Matter is also remarkable for its refusal to embellish or condemn. There is genuine tenderness for its characters in the film, but never any indulgence. Rose's dignity is not a mere slogan, and Jean's reserve is not excessively romanticized. From this restraint arises the film's strongest point: the idea that essential bonds are not always forged within predetermined frameworks, but rather in the margins, through chance encounters, and shared vulnerabilities. A film that appears modest, but is imbued with a true sense of humanity.