Young Mothers ★★★

The Dardenne brothers have dedicated their filmography to telling stories about marginalized individuals within European society. Their latest, Young Mothers, is a natural fit for the directors, depicting the lives of five teenage mothers and their efforts to build lives for themselves and their babies. Each of the mothers is dedicated to ensuring their babies will have better lives than their own, and this is sought out by different means influenced by the mothers’ upbringings. 

Jessica (Babette Verbeek), who was adopted, seeks out her biological mother for the first time, wondering why her mother gave her up for adoption. She is preoccupied with this question, even as she is soon to give birth since it will influence a challenging decision she will have to make regarding her own baby. Ariane (Janaïna Halloy Fokan) who does have a relationship with her mother, albeit a troubled one, is certain of her desire to meet with an adoptive couple largely due to her relationship with her mother. Ariane’s mother insists that Ariane and her baby move in with her and that she can take care of them. This seems to come from a genuine interest to provide for Ariane and the baby; however, she is violent with Ariane when Ariane expresses her wish to have an adoptive couple adopt her baby. Even if Ariane’s mother has good intent, her behavior is too troubling. The Dardenne brothers convey that Ariane’s mother feels a great amount of shame for living in poverty and as a mother to Ariane. To her, wanting to provide for Ariane and the baby is an opportunity for redemption, but Ariane recognizes that her mother would be toxic for the baby to be raised around and makes the challenging decision to meet with the adoptive couple. She is saddened to have made this decision and requests that the couple teach her baby to play an instrument when she is older. She wants her daughter to grow up around music. She cares for her daughter.

Jessica and Ariane live in a center for young mothers along with Perla (Lucie Laruelle), Julie (Elsa Houben), and Naïma (Samia Hilmi). The caretakers at the center support the mothers until they are able to become self-sufficient with employment and an apartment. The center provides a calming, altruistic presence to the mothers who otherwise each experience challenges in their personal lives. Even Julie, who has a loving and supportive partner as the father to her child, is struggling in her recovery from addiction. 

Young Mothers is a slice-of-life drama that follows the lives of the five mothers as they seek out a better life for themselves and their babies. There’s no overarching narrative; the Dardennes are primarily interested in social realism. As is the case in each of their films, the acting is exceptional, particularly Fokan and Laruelle, who portrays a woman whose partner abandons her. Despite the challenges these women face, the Dardenne brothers’ film never dwells in misery, speaking to the strong character of these women and the restorative benefit that the mothers’ center has. There is always some bit of hope available to each of the mothers that carries them forward. Ultimately, Young Mothers is testament to their resilience and to the strength of youth.