: Stunning, evocative cinematography; powerful lead performance; a unique, poetic take on the "feminist story".
: The story begins abruptly when Marianne (Edith Clever) tells her husband, Bruno (Bruno Ganz), that she wants to be left alone. The film then painstakingly observes her navigating this new solitude with her young son in a suburb of Paris. Edith Clever delivers a "haunting" and "moving" performance as a woman seeking a life that is entirely her own, even as she grapples with the resulting loneliness. Edith Clever delivers a "haunting" and "moving" performance
: As Handke’s directorial debut, the film reflects his background as a writer. It uses sparse dialogue and tactile, "painterly" cinematography that captures the weight of everyday objects and environments. Critics often compare its style to the works of Chantal Akerman or Yasujirō Ozu due to its focus on the "microscope of life". Critics often compare its style to the works