Director Christian Carion’s delightful French drama “Driving Madeleine” first screened in 2022 at the Angoulême Francophone Film Festival and a few months later at the Toronto International Film Festival. But it is just now getting an official big screen release here in the States and you won’t have to wait long to see it. And trust me, it’s a movie you will want to make time for.

“Driving Madeleine” is a genuinely sweet and mature gem of a movie. Written by Carion and Cyril Gély, the story is heartwarming and a bonafide tearjerker. I realize that’s a description that can come with some pretty negative connotations. But don’t toss this movie aside. Carion has made a smart and thoughtful film that examines longing, regret, and the intrinsic value of human connection. It explores memories and the preciousness of a life while fully realizing the beauty and tragedy associated with both.

Charles Hoffman (Dany Boon) is a down on his luck taxi driver in Paris. Soured and disillusioned, the 46-years-old Charles works twelve hours a day and six days a week to support his wife and daughter who he loves but rarely gets to spend time with. To make matters worse, he’s only one traffic violation away from losing his license which means losing his car which means losing his job.

Charles is dispatched to the other side of Paris for a fare. Once there he picks up 92-year-old Madeleine Keller (a sensational Line Renaud) who is in no hurry to get where she’s going. Her destination sends Charles back across the city but on the way Madeleine asks him to take a couple of detours to important places from her long an eventful life. It annoys him at first, but the more the chatty Madeleine shares the more Charles opens about his own life.

The film is peppered with flashbacks to Madeleine’s past where her younger self is played by a solemn and soulful Alice Isaaz. Through them we learn about the love of her life, an American soldier named Matt (Elie Kaempfen) who went back to the States after World War II. We see her son Mathieu (Hadriel Roure) who she had unexpectedly. We witness her marriage to her violently abusive husband Ray (Jérémie Laheurte) and the consequences that spun from it.

There is much more to Madeleine’s story that I’ll leave for you to discover. It all gives shape to what has been a fascinating life. It also affects the troubled Charles, leading him to share snippets of his own life, from his financial woes to his deep sacrificial love for his wife Karine (Julie Delarme) and their daughter Betty (Léonie Carion). As their unorthodox bond slowly forms and grows, it’s pretty easy to get a sense where the story is going. But that does nothing to lessen our connection to the characters or ruin the emotional payoff.

Anchored by two fantastic performances and a sincere story with a warm human center, “Driving Madeleine” turns out to be a surprisingly subtle and (mostly) unsentimental pleasure. You could call it an irresistibly charming heart-warmer and you wouldn’t be wrong. But there’s a darker subtext found mostly in the flashbacks that aren’t afraid to expose and challenge. The film is beautifully shot and Francophiles will love the evocative Paris scenery. But it’s the two central characters and their journey over the course of one day that’ll leave the biggest impression. “Driving Madeleine” opens January 12th in select theaters.

VERDICT – 4 STARS