Sequins (Brodeuses) (A Common Thread) (2004)

83% of critics liked it
(24 reviews)
78% of users liked it
(938 ratings)

Claire (Lola Naymark of Monsieur Ibrahim) is a teenager who works as a supermarket cashier. She has moved out of her family's home and into a small apartment, partly because she doesn't get along with her parents, and partly because she doesn't want them to find out that she's pregnant. When… More Claire (Lola Naymark of Monsieur Ibrahim) is a teenager who works as a supermarket cashier. She has moved out of her family's home and into a small apartment, partly because she doesn't get along with her parents, and partly because she doesn't want them to find out that she's pregnant. When co-workers begin to comment on her weight gain, Claire tells them she has cancer, and asks for medical leave. While staying with her girlfriend's family, Claire learns that her girlfriend's scarred brother, Guillaume (Thomas Laroppe), was in a motorbike accident, in which his best friend was killed. Guillaume is despondent and has decided to go abroad. Since Claire is looking for work, and has an interest in embroidery, she goes to visit the mother of Guillaume's dead friend. After some hesitation, Madame Mélikian (Ariane Ascaride of The Town Is Quiet) hires Claire to replace her late son as her assistant. Madame Mélikian has a successful business and a wealth of knowledge to pass on to the young woman, but she's nearly paralyzed by her grief. Still, the two eventually form a unique bond. Brodeuses, or Sequins, is the first feature film directed by Éléonore Faucher, who co-wrote the screenplay with Gaëlle Macé. It was shown at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and was selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art for inclusion in the 2005 edition of New Directors/New Films. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Eleonore Faucher
Written By: Eleonore Faucher, Gaëlle Macé
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: May 27, 2005 Limited
On DVD: Mar 21, 2006
Studio: New Yorker Films

Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Feels like one idea stretched into a modest, colorful display. But what a sweet display it is.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Éléonore Faucher's quietly assured debut is a lovely, almost painfully intimate story of female bonding that never panders to its characters or its audience.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Eleonore Faucher, first-time director (and co-writer) of the French charmer Sequins, is well aware of Neymark's allure and sees to it that the young woman is seldom out of the frame.
Manohla Dargis, New York Times
In this decorous trifle from France, the director Éléonore Faucher builds her story with studied deliberation and piece by precious piece.
David Ng, Village Voice
Sequins hinges on its performances and newcomer Naymark is a marvel of quiet intelligence, endowing Claire with a complex mix of virginal purity and hormonal rage.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Cinematography and art decoration trump plot and character development.
David Noh, Film Journal International
There's barely a laugh or a smile in the entire film and, after a while, there's just so much quietly desperate angst and anomie a viewer can take.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Not a keeper, but if you're at a video store sometime soon make sure to look for my raging-queen pull-quote on the back.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Becomes a quiet tribute to friendship, and to the way that something torn can be made perfect again.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
At its best, the film is as delicate and lovely as the gorgeous sequin-embroidered designs the women spin on spider webs of diaphanous materials.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Sequins is a lovely calling card for its maker and its stars.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
...Éléonore Faucher's film is a timeless, multi-layered affair of artistry, apprenticeship, friendship and love
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Touched with eerie dream sequences, the film casts a strange spell that's enhanced by the rhythmic, almost sensual depiction of the painstaking art of embroidery.
David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor
Faucher's filmmaking is exquisite, Naymark's acting is luminous, and superb use of music lends a crowning touch.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Mark A

A well done character study, this follows a young woman dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Claire (Lola Naymark) hides her pregnancy from her friends and family as long as she can and even changes jobs to prevent discovery. The job change provides Claire with the sanctuary she needs… More
A well done character study, this follows a young woman dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. Claire (Lola Naymark) hides her pregnancy from her friends and family as long as she can and even changes jobs to prevent discovery. The job change provides Claire with the sanctuary she needs to begin to come to grips with her situation and to sort out her options, even as she helps her new employer come to grips with her own tragedy. The young actress captivated this viewer. She is quite beautiful with the most luxurious head of red hair this viewer can remember seeing. But her ability to communicate her hidden emotions non-verbally was extraordinary. Ariane Ascaride played her employer, Madame Melikian, and brought a quiet dignity to the role of a mother dealing with the loss of a child. The supporting actors offered solid performances that fleshed out the story. Some lovely scenery and interesting camera work complete the package.