In Safe Hands (2018) User Reviews

This is actually my story

[tolchardjn · 8/10 · 11 October 2022]

I would have never thought my story could one day be made into a film! I came across it by chance and got stuck till the last minute. I literally relived my own story as an adoptant mum in France : the heavy system, the waiting, the hopes and fails.

Everything in the storyboard reminded me of what we went through.

The actors, and most particularly Elodie Bouchez, manage to convey the despair and feelings I felt through the adoption process. Adoption is a battle worth fighting for which is well described in this sensitive film.

My child is fifteen today and when the right time comes, we must watch this film together.

sensitive and interesting drama about an unusual subject

[myriamlenys · 8/10 · 31 October 2019]

A young woman is delivered of a healthy male child. She is giving birth anonymously, as "Jane Doe". Now that a baby boy has been left in the care of the Nation, the various social services set out to find the very best foster parent(s) and, especially, the very best adoptive parent(s)...

"Pupille" boasts a lot of assets : an unusual subject, a close look at the working of a little-known legal mechanism, a bunch of interesting and very human characters, plus a whole list of discussion items about fertility, parenthood, foster care and adoption. "Pupille" is also very moving. The movie has a more or less happy ending, with a decent and kind-hearted lady finally obtaining the adoptive child she had been praying for. But behind this one lucky woman there are at least ten non-lucky men and women who have been waiting in vain - and who will continue to wait in vain, possibly until their dying day.

Watch the movie carefully and you'll get an idea of the deep misery many well-meaning and inoffensive people are experiencing - and not only in Europe. You can't adopt a child if you're too young, but if you're 40 or 50, you're already too old. You can't adopt if you're too busy, but if you don't have a job you'll be unable to support a child. You need to spend many years fighting the red tape, the disappointments, the refusals, but you shouldn't get tired and embittered, which would disqualify you. If you're willing to adopt a child of a different race or origin you're too superficial and needy ; if you're not willing to do so you're narrow-minded and ignorant. If you get involved in an international adoption involving a third-world country you're contributing to human trafficking ; if the idea of an international adoption scares you you're unwilling to think outside of the box. When celibate, you should get married ; when married, you should get divorced ; when divorced, you should have stayed married ; when widowed, you should spend the next three, five, ten years recovering from your trauma ; and on and on and on. It's like the social and legal minefield from Hell.

Beautiful Moving Film

[maureen-09734 · 8/10 · 5 October 2020]

It's been a long time since I have seen a new film that moved me like this one. I saw it as part of a virtual film festival. The cast and chemistry is wonderful but the infant steals every scene. One of those films that will undoubtedly stay with you forever.

Thought-provoking and educational but bland

[trivium105 · 6/10 · 7 November 2019]

There is no doubt the subject matter of the French fostering and adoption system is an important topic and one which I guess most people know little or nothing about, and, assuming the system in my home country of England is not too dissimilar, it was very educational for me. Emotion inevitably comes into it as we see an unwanted baby boy pass from his birth, through the system, to his eventual new home. The film is slow paced, which was not remotely a problem for me but may be for some. The acting,and production are all very good.

My main problem with the film was it just seemed too bland. Whilst I appreciate the characters were meant to be realistic, we are nonetheless watching a drama not a documentary and so artistic licence is allowed. When such licence was employed it came across as totally contrived, almost for the sake of it. The script was also just a bit too dry. Whilst life is the primary subject of the film, there was a real lack of sparkle to it, a lack of life.

I found it enjoyable, and in some ways an important film to see from an educational perspective, but feel in the hands of superior film makers it could have been so much better (the Dardenne brothers immediately come to mind).

With all the reality TV there is around these days, if there are any documentaries on the same subject then I would suggest watching them instead of this.

A must see to everybody

[Kryptorium · 10/10 · 8 May 2019]

There is no need to talk about spoilers, this movie ... this story is beautiful. It is not just a story, it's about a path to anyone desiring to adopt a child. Moreover, this movie treats the adoption of a ward (pupille) from the beginning and I think it could help many mothers who don't want to keep their child.

The actors carry the movie beyond the initial purpose because it's not a documentary, it's the life of many people all along this adoption. I have to point out the filmmaking ... I was truly engrossed until the end. Every scene is realistic but I will say no more here, enjoy =)

Luminous

[guy-bellinger · 9/10 · 16 March 2021]

Théo, a baby born anonymously, is given up for adoption the day of his birth. The biological mother has two months to reconsider her decision... or not. In the meantime, the child welfare and adoption services are working hard. The first to take care of the newborn, the second to find an adoptive mother. Her name is Alice, she is 41 years old and she has been fighting for ten years to have a child.

Baby, anonymous delivery, adoption, one fears the syrupy soap or the two-bit photo novel. Don't worry, it's not! On the contrary, Jeanne Herry's (Miou-Miou's daughter) attentive pen and camera know how to find the right measure and the perfect angle of attack at every moment. As interesting as it is moving, the film harmoniously mixes the pedagogy of a documentary with the great emotions of a successful fiction. On the information side, we are put at the heart of the teams that work around the infant (caregivers, specialized educators, adoption officers). On the emotional side, we follow the long and painful journey of Théo's candidate for adoption (sensitive Élodie Bouchez). All of the actors in the film are to be commended for their ability to capture both the strengths and weaknesses of their characters. However, are particularly to be praised Sandrine Kiberlain as an empathetic social worker, Olivia Côte as the firm but understanding head of the adoption service as well as the most endearing of them all - divine surprise-, macho Gilles Lellouche as the baby's tender provisional father. A luminous work, which does honor to French cinema.

Poignant

[winterh3 · 8/10 · 27 January 2024]

Do not miss the Last few seconds of French writer/director Jeanne Herry's poignant movie, "In Safe Hands", (Pupille). About an infant's journey through the French adoption system. I was so affected by this movie. Baby Théo and all the baby Theos passed through adoption systems, sometimes for months before they are placed with their adoptive parent(s), will forever be impressed upon my heart and mind. This very well directed amazing cast and story that focuses on baby but also touches on the lives of the many people involved in Theo's first three months of life brought laughs, tears and pondering for which I am glad to have experienced. Again, do not miss the last split second!

It is an intimate story that drew me in.

[tildiz149 · 9/10 · 11 November 2023]

Théo is a sweet little newborn boy. His young biological mother doesn´t want to keep him. Therefore, the adoption process begins. Théo meets quite many new people who cares for and helps him.

We also meet Alice in this movie. She is a woman with a kind, warm and caring personality. She has applied to become an adoptive parent for a couple of years.

"In Safe Hands" is an intimate story in my opinion. It drew me in quickly. I really wanted things to work out for little Théo. He honestly deserves the very best. I think that the people in the adoption process treated him and his biological mother with kindness, respect and calmness.

I only missed two things in this movie. I wanted to know much more about Théo´s biological mother. And some things were quite unclear when it comes to Karine´s love life. But I can absolutely recommend "In Safe Hands"! I don´t regret watching this movie. I think that it deserves a larger audience.

Imposing moral values...

[miles1896 · 5/10 · 22 August 2020]

This movie manipulates the viewer in the name of some preconceived moral values concerning child caring and parenthood.

Montage technique used all along the film seems to be an outdated technique which does not quite fit to the idea of the movie