Review: Partir un jour – Amélie Bonnin Opens Cannes 2025
A bittersweet musical about coming home
Review of Partir un jour by Amélie Bonnin, opening the 2025 Cannes Film Festival with grace, melody and emotion.
The opening film of Cannes always carries symbolic weight. After a solemn ceremony marked by multiple standing ovations — for Juliette Binoche, Leonardo DiCaprio, and of course a humble and soft-spoken Robert De Niro — Partir un jour was finally screened.
The Short Film
Julien has just published his first novel. Expecting a child, he returns to Normandy to help his parents move out after his father decides to retire. At the local supermarket, he runs into Caroline, a childhood friend who is also pregnant and working as a cashier. That evening, they reconnect at the town pool. Long-buried emotions resurface.
- Audience Award, Normandy Region, Off-Courts Festival 2021
- Audience Award, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2022
- Best Actor Award (Bastien Bouillon), Côté Court Festival, Pantin 2022
- César Award for Best Short Fiction Film
Before opening the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Partir un jour began as a celebrated short film. Directed by Amélie Bonnin, it stood out for its narrative delicacy and musical sensibility.
Feature Film Synopsis
As Cécile prepares to open her dream restaurant, a heart attack forces her to return to her childhood village to care for her father. Far from Parisian chaos, she reconnects with her first love. Memories resurface, and her certainty begins to falter…
Review of Partir un jour by Amélie Bonnin
Following their award-winning short, Juliette Armanet and Bastien Bouillon reunite in this romantically realistic musical. This time, Cécile (Armanet) takes center stage, while Raphaël (Bouillon), her former flame, has never left the village.
Friendship and past bonds anchor the film. Cécile Béguin — a telling surname — no longer knows how to move forward. Her old friends and still-in-love ex provide grounding she must now learn to leave behind.
The reunion scene with Mhamed Arezki and Pierre-Antoine Billon as Heddy and Richard is pure magic. The chemistry lingers in scenes with her mother, played by the luminous Dominique Blanc.
Screenwriters Amélie Bonnin and Dimitri Dumas strike a rare balance: we laugh, we sing, we shed a tear. Bonnin deftly contrasts city and country, haute cuisine and comfort food, lives we endure and those we choose. The skating rink flashback is a beautiful bridge between those worlds.
When the Music Hits Just Right
Juliette Armanet, in her first screen role, embodies a woman split between ambition and nostalgia. François Rollin and Dominique Blanc bring gentle gravity to the supporting cast.
Music emerges as a form of memory. Dalida, Lââm, Niagara and 2Be3 score everyday gestures, unlock the past, and hint at what’s possible. Every musical sequence was recorded live, capturing raw emotion and tonal authenticity. The songs root the film in a sincerely embraced pop culture.
Why Partir un jour Was the Perfect Opening for Cannes
Partir un jour is a film that feels joyful, tender, and honest. Though very French in its references (Top Chef, Philippe Etchebest, those three familiar Cabrel notes…), its theme is universal: how can women thrive without guilt? The film highlights female growth, choices, and vulnerability, echoing Bonnin’s own creative journey.
As Amélie Bonnin puts it: « Il ne suffit pas de quitter les choses pour que les choses nous quittent. »
Seen at: UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles
🎥 Watch the short film’s behind-the-scenes
🗓️ In theaters: May 13, 2025
Also read: What to Watch at Cannes 2025
Tags: #PartirUnJour #AmélieBonnin #Cannes2025 #FilmMusical #FilmReview #JulietteArmanet #FrenchCinema
