She achieved nothing. I can't understand the pain of loosing a child because unfortunately I don't have one but this seems like an awful lot of money and risk to have a child that looks and sounds like your dead one. And the movie acts as this is okay, in fact it is only mentioned once around the 101 minute mark that the cloned child will not be Zoe. I'm also not happy with the pacing of the movie, too much time is spent with the exposition and death of the child and too little with the cloning and ethical dilemma part.
15 Reviews
A better final
acrgmn20 May 2021
Very Interesting...
brian-854664 October 2020
Marriage Story plus Creator
SnoopyStyle11 September 2021
Isabelle (Julie Delpy) is in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband James (Richard Armitage) over their daughter Zoe. She's a scientist trying to regain her career after sidelining it for the sake of her family. She has a boyfriend and James is still clinging. Thomas Fischer (Daniel Brühl) is an IVF doctor and Laura (Gemma Arterton) is his wife.
This is basically Marriage Story for the first half. When the tragedy happens, it turns into something like Creator which is an odd 80's sci-fi rom-com. The first half is compelling despite the infuriating James. The transition to the second half is daring but doesn't always work. It's trying to be challenging but it somehow pulls its punches. Julie Delpy is at the top of the game. I wouldn't mind staying with the Marriage Story. More could be done with the second half but it's also limited by the available time. Nevertheless, it is interesting.
This is basically Marriage Story for the first half. When the tragedy happens, it turns into something like Creator which is an odd 80's sci-fi rom-com. The first half is compelling despite the infuriating James. The transition to the second half is daring but doesn't always work. It's trying to be challenging but it somehow pulls its punches. Julie Delpy is at the top of the game. I wouldn't mind staying with the Marriage Story. More could be done with the second half but it's also limited by the available time. Nevertheless, it is interesting.
Excellent atmospheric and thoughtful film
Vindelander2 December 2020
An unexpected story
Gordon-1110 June 2020
But it's not your Zoe, is it?
DJLore2229 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I think this movie raises some interesting questions, worthy of a discussion. That being said, it provides few answers.
In the beginning of the film, we see some bonding between the mother Isabelle (Julie Delpy) and her daughter Zoe. However, as a viewer, one can already start to see that the mother is slightly unhinged. Her soon-to-be ex-husband James (Richard Armitage) picks up Zoe for an afternoon, and instead of concentrating on work, she spends the day obsessing over what they're doing together. At no point during this film does one get the impression that Zoe is less-than-safe with her father, but he seems to be constantly treated as a second-class citizen. Whatever happened between Isabelle and James is never fully addressed (something about how she felt after having a kid and how she felt he perceived her after that--seems like nothing a marriage counselor could not help them work through if they were BOTH stable), but she can't seem to let go of her bitterness long enough to quit copter-parenting and sniping her ex every chance she gets. This type of behavior does not endear her character to the audience. The "woe-is-me-I'm-a-single-mother-now" trope has been done to death, and this was not even a good portrayal of it.
I did not understand the point of her new boyfriend, who was portrayed by Brunette #49-dilly-2. He serves no real purpose, other than just being an extra in scenes with a woman who seems incapable of being alone with her own thoughts for five minutes.
Zoe's father James seems to gain all of the sympathy in the movie (hopefully this was done on purpose). I wish they would have allowed more lines and character development for his role, because Richard Armitage is truly a force of nature in front of the camera. He convinces the audience early on of his lingering love for Isabelle (unstable though she is), and his devotion to their daughter.
Halfway through this movie, Zoe dies tragically, though not entirely unexpectedly at that point. The father's grief is practically tangible, while the mother remains wooden, armed with a plan and a tissue sample of her late daughter. She heads off to Russia with no explanation, abandoning her ex when they should have been grieving together over their joint loss. She does not even tell/ask her ex about this crazy plan of hers, which definitely involves him (Zoe was half-his, remember?). In Russia, she approaches a scientist who is leading the field in cloning technology, begging him to help her. After much hem-hawing, he reluctantly agrees. Insanity.
I understand the woman has just experienced a tremendous loss and is at the end of her tether, but let's examine how crazy this is. First, the scientist could end up not only losing his livelihood (he is a husband and father also), but he could even face criminal charges if he was discovered to be party to unsanctioned human cloning. So, is she selfish? Without a doubt. Her loss is the most important and trumps all others. Second, as the scientist is attempting to dissuade her from pursuing cloning, he exhibits a picture which one can only imagine is a tragically deformed puppy. Would a good mother truly risk creating a short-lived experiment born knowing nothing but unimaginable pain and confusion? No, but this woman would. Third, many parents lose children; they have to live with the pain, emptiness and grief. They are not so overly-privileged that they can create an exact replica of the child they lost, which brings me to the biggest point of all: this clone is only identical to Zoe physically. She is not the same little girl; she will have her own personality and quirks. So, going to all of this absurd expense, effort and time with all the possible collateral damage and even danger, all to get a child that looks like Zoe, but is not Zoe? Worth it? No, yet this woman does it.
At the end of the movie, time has passed since Zoe 2.0's birth, and Isabelle introduces her to James, who surprisingly seems amazed/happy to meet her (this is probably the most unbelievable part of the entire film, which is saying something). A grieving father who had neither consented nor had comprehensive knowledge about his ex-wife's deranged scheme...would act happy? I feel like the most realistic response would be horror, a renewal of grief, perhaps even anger.
One last note: how would a child feel when they discover the only reason for their existence is to be an exact replacement of their mother's firstborn? Talk about causing a child some serious psychological problems. Oh, the therapy bills would cause one to drown in debt, wouldn't they?
After watching this movie, I wish Isabelle would have never had a kid at all and saved me an hour and a half of my life. Six stars for Richard Armitage solely.
In the beginning of the film, we see some bonding between the mother Isabelle (Julie Delpy) and her daughter Zoe. However, as a viewer, one can already start to see that the mother is slightly unhinged. Her soon-to-be ex-husband James (Richard Armitage) picks up Zoe for an afternoon, and instead of concentrating on work, she spends the day obsessing over what they're doing together. At no point during this film does one get the impression that Zoe is less-than-safe with her father, but he seems to be constantly treated as a second-class citizen. Whatever happened between Isabelle and James is never fully addressed (something about how she felt after having a kid and how she felt he perceived her after that--seems like nothing a marriage counselor could not help them work through if they were BOTH stable), but she can't seem to let go of her bitterness long enough to quit copter-parenting and sniping her ex every chance she gets. This type of behavior does not endear her character to the audience. The "woe-is-me-I'm-a-single-mother-now" trope has been done to death, and this was not even a good portrayal of it.
I did not understand the point of her new boyfriend, who was portrayed by Brunette #49-dilly-2. He serves no real purpose, other than just being an extra in scenes with a woman who seems incapable of being alone with her own thoughts for five minutes.
Zoe's father James seems to gain all of the sympathy in the movie (hopefully this was done on purpose). I wish they would have allowed more lines and character development for his role, because Richard Armitage is truly a force of nature in front of the camera. He convinces the audience early on of his lingering love for Isabelle (unstable though she is), and his devotion to their daughter.
Halfway through this movie, Zoe dies tragically, though not entirely unexpectedly at that point. The father's grief is practically tangible, while the mother remains wooden, armed with a plan and a tissue sample of her late daughter. She heads off to Russia with no explanation, abandoning her ex when they should have been grieving together over their joint loss. She does not even tell/ask her ex about this crazy plan of hers, which definitely involves him (Zoe was half-his, remember?). In Russia, she approaches a scientist who is leading the field in cloning technology, begging him to help her. After much hem-hawing, he reluctantly agrees. Insanity.
I understand the woman has just experienced a tremendous loss and is at the end of her tether, but let's examine how crazy this is. First, the scientist could end up not only losing his livelihood (he is a husband and father also), but he could even face criminal charges if he was discovered to be party to unsanctioned human cloning. So, is she selfish? Without a doubt. Her loss is the most important and trumps all others. Second, as the scientist is attempting to dissuade her from pursuing cloning, he exhibits a picture which one can only imagine is a tragically deformed puppy. Would a good mother truly risk creating a short-lived experiment born knowing nothing but unimaginable pain and confusion? No, but this woman would. Third, many parents lose children; they have to live with the pain, emptiness and grief. They are not so overly-privileged that they can create an exact replica of the child they lost, which brings me to the biggest point of all: this clone is only identical to Zoe physically. She is not the same little girl; she will have her own personality and quirks. So, going to all of this absurd expense, effort and time with all the possible collateral damage and even danger, all to get a child that looks like Zoe, but is not Zoe? Worth it? No, yet this woman does it.
At the end of the movie, time has passed since Zoe 2.0's birth, and Isabelle introduces her to James, who surprisingly seems amazed/happy to meet her (this is probably the most unbelievable part of the entire film, which is saying something). A grieving father who had neither consented nor had comprehensive knowledge about his ex-wife's deranged scheme...would act happy? I feel like the most realistic response would be horror, a renewal of grief, perhaps even anger.
One last note: how would a child feel when they discover the only reason for their existence is to be an exact replacement of their mother's firstborn? Talk about causing a child some serious psychological problems. Oh, the therapy bills would cause one to drown in debt, wouldn't they?
After watching this movie, I wish Isabelle would have never had a kid at all and saved me an hour and a half of my life. Six stars for Richard Armitage solely.
Great ethical drama, a bit too slow
lcrosby-9531011 April 2023
Great ethical drama, a bit too slow.
I liked Delphy as Isabelle. But it was all a bit slow really. I think the first third could have been massively condensed. The overattentive parenting was a bit cringey.
I liked the storyline for it's difficult ethical angle. Also the exploration of grief and loss and hope
Great ethical drama, a bit too slow.
I liked Delphy as Isabelle. But it was all a bit slow really. I think the first third could have been massively condensed. The overattentive parenting was a bit cringey.
I liked the storyline for it's difficult ethical angle. Also the exploration of grief and loss and hope.
I liked Delphy as Isabelle. But it was all a bit slow really. I think the first third could have been massively condensed. The overattentive parenting was a bit cringey.
I liked the storyline for it's difficult ethical angle. Also the exploration of grief and loss and hope
Great ethical drama, a bit too slow.
I liked Delphy as Isabelle. But it was all a bit slow really. I think the first third could have been massively condensed. The overattentive parenting was a bit cringey.
I liked the storyline for it's difficult ethical angle. Also the exploration of grief and loss and hope.
Julie Delpy's labor of love misfires badly
paul-allaer27 February 2021
"My Zoe" (2019 release from Germany; 101 min.) brings the story of Isabelle and her 7 yr. old daughter Zoe. As the movie opens, Isabelle is dropping off Zoe at school somewhere in Berlin. Afterwards, Isabelle gets in a heated argument with her ex James, Zoe's father, about the schedule of who gets to see Zoe when. Upon getting home from school, Zoe starts sneezing, as if she has a cold but she doesn't have a fever. It sets in motion a disastrous series of events... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: Julie Delpy is best known in the US for co-starring in the "Before" trilogy with Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise; Before Sunset; Before Midnight). "My Zoe" is the latest labor of love from Julie Delpy. Let's count the ways: she stars (as Isabelle), she writes, she produces, she directs, and for good measure, she also wrote the music playing over the movie's end credits AND she performs (solo piano). Wow. But does it make for a good movie? Sadly, in this case it does not, and I will even say that this is a shockingly poor movie on so many levels. Where to begin? Let's start with the interplay between Isabelle and James as the sparring exes. These scenes feel completely unnatural and very staged. In particular Richard Armitage (as James) comes across as wooden. But "My Zoe" entirely jumps the shark a good hour into the movie when there is a plot change that is as unexpected as it is utterly laughable and entirely unbelievable (I shan't say more). It's a darn shame. There isn't a single second of music in the entire movie, that is until the end credits start rolling and a beautiful solo piano piece starts playing. Turns out that is Delpy herself. Too bad she didn't add some more of this in the movie itself. I wish I could be more positive about this film, as I absolutely love Julie Delpy, but in the case "My Zoe" misfires badly, sad to say.
"My Zoe" premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, yes 18 months ago. It was supposed to open in US theaters in the Spring of 2020, but then a little thing called COVID-19 had other plans. Now a year later, "My Zoe" opened out of the blue this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it . The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was not attended well: 1 other person besides myself, and the guy left after an hour and didn't return. I almost did likewise, but didn't as I was just curious how much further this film could jump the shark (as it turs out: a LOT). I cannot recommend this film in good conscience to anyone, but of course don't take my word for it, and check it out for yourself if you have the chance, be it in the theater (?), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: Julie Delpy is best known in the US for co-starring in the "Before" trilogy with Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise; Before Sunset; Before Midnight). "My Zoe" is the latest labor of love from Julie Delpy. Let's count the ways: she stars (as Isabelle), she writes, she produces, she directs, and for good measure, she also wrote the music playing over the movie's end credits AND she performs (solo piano). Wow. But does it make for a good movie? Sadly, in this case it does not, and I will even say that this is a shockingly poor movie on so many levels. Where to begin? Let's start with the interplay between Isabelle and James as the sparring exes. These scenes feel completely unnatural and very staged. In particular Richard Armitage (as James) comes across as wooden. But "My Zoe" entirely jumps the shark a good hour into the movie when there is a plot change that is as unexpected as it is utterly laughable and entirely unbelievable (I shan't say more). It's a darn shame. There isn't a single second of music in the entire movie, that is until the end credits start rolling and a beautiful solo piano piece starts playing. Turns out that is Delpy herself. Too bad she didn't add some more of this in the movie itself. I wish I could be more positive about this film, as I absolutely love Julie Delpy, but in the case "My Zoe" misfires badly, sad to say.
"My Zoe" premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, yes 18 months ago. It was supposed to open in US theaters in the Spring of 2020, but then a little thing called COVID-19 had other plans. Now a year later, "My Zoe" opened out of the blue this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it . The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was not attended well: 1 other person besides myself, and the guy left after an hour and didn't return. I almost did likewise, but didn't as I was just curious how much further this film could jump the shark (as it turs out: a LOT). I cannot recommend this film in good conscience to anyone, but of course don't take my word for it, and check it out for yourself if you have the chance, be it in the theater (?), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Isabelle won't let go after the death of her daughter Zoe.
wmnatzakanian27 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Isabelle and James are separated and share custody of Zoe. Upon her unexpected death, she just won't let go and decides to clone her daughter by unconventional methods. Delphy is magnificent and passionate as Isabelle.
Movie being missed out
ks-6050021 March 2021
7 reviews on low volume of rating on this movie. Feel sometimes marketing and commerical is required. It's not bad drama especially ethics and humanity come to the point which to pick. Acting is amazing, Hiliary Clinton acts so well.
What a riveting performance.
TheDome813 October 2021
Julie Delpy wrote, directed, and stars in this subtle yet moving story of a mother's undying love for her daughter. She plays Isabelle, a brilliant researcher living in Germany. She's going through a difficult divorce while having an affair with another man. One day her daughter Zoe, who she dotes on, becomes ill and ends up in the hospital. There's no explanation for what happened to her, and she goes into a coma. Both she and her ex husband are devastated when their beloved daughter dies. While her husband thinks they need to move on, Isabelle saves a bit of Zoe's skin and is determined to have her cloned. This sounds futuristic, but the way the story is told, it could actually happen today. I got totally sucked into the story and found the acting brilliant. Although it's slow paced, there's an undercurrent of tension that kept me glued to the screen right until the end.
Confused
kathysoo-2936827 May 2021
Well acted and original
vincentenos29 May 2020
Didn't read the storyline so wasn't sure what to expect, the acting was really good and the storyline moved you along gently. The filming is very underplayed, so nothing fancy, let's the viewer make up their own mind. I come away happy and although predictable towards the end, it was still a good watch. Highly recommended
A Surprising 10!
cruzn-9990316 November 2021
I honestly didn't know what to expect with this movie, and it took a little while for me to get hooked. But once I did, Julie Delpy had me in the palm of her hand.
Among other things, this movie is an amazing love story, although some of the angles are never acted upon.
As the American healthcare system continues to become more and more broken, it's refreshing to see a doctor who pushes the boundaries for a patient whose undying love for a child motivates him to ditch ethics and take chances that could ruin his career.
Delpy has a keen sense of motherhood, coping with pain and capturing relationships, and portrays a dead marriage with tinges of abuse perfectly.
The movie is also a perfect spark for discussion. By the time it ends, you don't want it to end, which is always a good thing.
Among other things, this movie is an amazing love story, although some of the angles are never acted upon.
As the American healthcare system continues to become more and more broken, it's refreshing to see a doctor who pushes the boundaries for a patient whose undying love for a child motivates him to ditch ethics and take chances that could ruin his career.
Delpy has a keen sense of motherhood, coping with pain and capturing relationships, and portrays a dead marriage with tinges of abuse perfectly.
The movie is also a perfect spark for discussion. By the time it ends, you don't want it to end, which is always a good thing.
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