We all feel like there’s a plan that we are supposed to follow in our lives.
Some of us make it for ourselves, some of them we believe are set out by our God and some are from are families. But plans are meant to be broken. Such is the case for the women of The Braid as they navigate big changes in their lives which are already wrought with conflict.
The first story follows Smita, who lives in the north of India. Her child and husband live with her as she works a job that puts her face to face with rubbish and ash. Even as her husband needs her to stay, she knows she must find a new place for her girl to grow up with hope and not face the gross obstacles. The second story follows Giulia who is the heir to her father’s Italian wig business but the same day she meets a Sikh man whom she falls deeply for, her father falls sick putting her family business and the connection they have in jeopardy. The third woman is Sarah who, on top of having to raise her three children and fight for respect as a junior partner at her law firm, is diagnosed with cancer and must figure out what is right for herself and her children.
The film’s strength is in its unabashed honesty about the tough and often painful moments to watch as these women all navigate dramatic changes in their lives. It takes these small dramas and unites them in the evolution of these characters arches as they fight for good change rather than bad omens.
The cinematography while not as cinematically beautiful as many narrative feature films has a documentary look that aids the honesty of these women’s stories and aids poetic faith in this realistic but, ultimately, spiritual journey that sees these women united by hair as the title suggests. It’s a touching look at the ‘butterfly effect’ and becomes a lot more effective than other films that try to use the same storytelling device..
Director Laetitia Colombani gives these women beauty and dignity, despite the words of contempt they face in a world that expects them to follow the path that women are ‘supposed to’ by the standards of their societies. The way that the script is able to effectively tie a lot of its most emotional and heart-touching elements together provides a deep catharsis. It’s a film with a lot of heart.
This is capped off by a beautiful score that sounds like it was improvised just for the film. Ludovico Einaudi brings a very human musicality to the most touching moments and makes his score one of the highlights of the film. Colombani adapted and directed her own book and the novel qualities do make the plot feel a bit thin as covering the stories of these three women leaves out much of the room for exploration of complex characterization.
The Braid is available in theatres on Friday, January 19th, 2024.
