“Poignant and sincere and telling a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt as if they are being defined by their flaws more than their most genuine efforts.”

Motherhood can be both a gift and a challenge, especially for those who are not equipped with the mental and emotional strength to handle the task of raising children. Jasmin Gordon is clearly fascinated by the idea of exploring parenting from the perspective of a character who is not prepared for the abundance of obligations that come with such an enormous responsibility, using it as the foundation for The Courageous, her exquisite and moving feature directorial debut. The film follows the trials and tribulations of Jule, a single mother trying to raise her three children, as she attempts to give them the best life possible while battling personal demons that make being a perfect, present mother often quite difficult. Told through her perspective as well as those of her children, the film examines the obstacles that prevent this family from achieving a life that matches their idyllic surroundings, with the beauty of their Swiss home sharply contrasted by the interpersonal tension between a mother who is not as present as she should be, and a trio of children who are gradually starting to realize that their circumstances are not as common as they have been led to believe. In this complex examination of the challenges that come with raising a child, Gordon makes a self-assured debut, crafting a delicate and poignant drama that makes its intentions clear at the outset, and quietly deconstructs many familiar themes in a striking and meaningful manner, revealing some harsh truths about domestic life and the often unbearable pressure to adapt to society’s standards.

Thematically, The Courageous is nothing we have not seen before in some form – this kind of social realist drama about the challenges of contemporary life, particularly those that focus on the broken promises of utopian domesticity and ideal standards, is quite common. However, Gordon uses a simple premise as the starting point for an effective look into the family that sits at the heart of this film. The primary perspective is that of Jule, someone who loves her children but is also unable to meet the standards of what it means to be a mother. Woven into the narrative is a growing sense of unease coming from her children, particularly her rebellious middle son, who she soon discovers is neurodivergent and needs extra attention, which proves to be an even more insurmountable challenge as she attempts to mend her own personal shortcomings. The director introduces a number of narrative threads in the relationship between Jule, her three children and several peripheral characters that weave together to create this haunting but realistic image of a family attempting to make their way through life, focusing on the crushing despair that comes when a parent acknowledges their imperfections, but isn’t able to find a way to overcome them. The Courageous is essentially the story of someone who has realized that marching to the beat of one’s own drum is only acceptable to a certain point, and that eventually defying the status quo can have severe consequences, even if it isn’t an act of intentional rebellion, but rather a fundamental flaw that becomes increasingly difficult to overcome.

The subject matter at the heart of The Courageous is certainly flexible enough for it to have gone in any direction, with Gordon choosing the most simple and unfurnished approach, which ultimately has the most impact. Rather than dwelling on heavy-handed emotions that would feel out of place in something as delicate and intricately woven as this film, she chooses a far more subtle approach. There is a gentleness that guides the film, which is built on small interactions between characters – some scenes being entirely wordless and composed of small visual and gestural cues that say more about the protagonists and their relationship with one another than any spoken dialogue – as they face the challenges that have become part of their daily routine. The tone is direct and establishes its intentions from the outset, leaving very little space for ambiguity in terms of what the director aimed to say with this material. As a result, much of the film’s impact comes from the collaboration between Gordon and her actors, who are tasked with bringing these complex characters to life through their striking interpretations. Ophélia Kolb has been quietly cobbling together an impressive career across stage and screen, and The Courageous provides an exceptional vehicle for her talents, in her extraordinary portrayal of the complex Jule. She’s joined by a trio of young actors who are all very impressive for their age, with Paul Besnier (as the middle son who is revealed to be on the autism spectrum) the most compelling and emotionally affecting. The ability to take such complex themes and weave them together in a manner that is never overwrought is one of the primary reasons the film succeeds in effectively looking at a topic that would be unnecessarily dense and cumbersome in many other contexts.

A beautiful character study that tackles quite difficult subject matter with sensitivity and earnestness, The Courageous goes beyond its social realist exterior and finds Gordon delivering a tender and moving depiction of a family that may be considered dysfunctional at a cursory glance, but nonetheless is still worth a compassionate perspective. Gordon’s refusal to treat her characters as trivial or assert unnecessary judgment on them proves the immense humanity that sits at the heart of the film – this isn’t a story about vilifying an imperfect parent, but rather showing how there is still a chance for redemption, even in circumstances that no one would ever consider ideal. It’s a simple approach, but one that yields excellent results, with the heartfelt filmmaking providing meaningful insights into a common and somewhat conventional subject. Anchored by a few terrific performances that are defined by their incredible complexity, The Courageous is a powerful film that takes on a topic that could have been dreadfully heavy-handed had it not been handled by someone who saw more value in the quieter moments that occur in between larger expressions of emotion. Poignant and sincere and telling a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt as if they are being defined by their flaws more than their most genuine efforts, this film is a well-crafted, moving drama that sheds light on a subject that is far more common than many would expect.