For me, this was the best Netflix film find of the year.This is a French movie, with subtitles in English. Marie's Story is the biography of Marie Heurtin. Not unlike Helen Keller, Marie is deaf and blind. The story unfolds very similarly to that of The "Miracle Worker." But unlike The Miracle Worker, this film explores fully aspects of life, that "The Miracle Worker" never dared to cross.In the space of 95 minutes, this movie explored the full range of human emotion. There very little need for spoken dialogue. Instead what was communicated through the actions of the characters, needed no audible communication to comprehend.The acting was truly exceptional. The music was perfect. Not overpowering. Not distracting. Marie's signing at the end weren't words. They were poetry from the heart.Wayno

Writer (with Phillipe Blasband) and Director Jean-Pierre Améris has created a stunning film that speaks about people born with disabilities and how in the case of this character those people often become significant contributors to our understanding of humanity at its most sensitive. Based on a true story the film is radiant in both the acting and the extraordinary setting in which the story is presented. The synopsis outlines the message very succinctly:' At the turn of the 19th century, a humble artisan and his wife have a daughter, Marie (Ariana Rivoire), who is born deaf and blind and unable to communicate with the world around her. Desperate to find a connection to their daughter and avoid sending her to an asylum, the Heurtins (Gilles Treton and Laure Duthilleul) send fourteen-year-old Marie to the Larnay Institute in central France, where an order of Catholic nuns manage a school for deaf girls. There, the idealistic Sister Marguerite (Isabelle Carré in a luminous performance) sees in Marie a unique potential, and despite her Mother Superior's skepticism, vows to bring the wild young thing out of the darkness into which she was born. The film recounts the courageous journey of a young nun and the lives she would change forever, confronting failures and discouragement with joyous faith and love.'A sensitive film, rich in message and in visual realization, this is one of those quiet, uplifting films – especially made for those who tire of the deluge of killing/action/crash/apocalyptic/undead films that assault our senses. Highly Recommended.

Movies about people who have "issues" are difficult to watch. And it's not different with this one. The performances are great, even if you can predict almost everything that is about to happen beat for beat. It doesn't make the movie less emotional or less engaging to watch and experience that journey.There are always obstacles to overcome (as in life and this is based on a real person), though I'm not overly familiar with the real story, so I can't tell if this is close to what actually happened. Some things might be heightened for drama aspects, but we are used to that and the movie does a good job with it.

Of course, "The Miracle Worker". There is the same disease, same physical struggle with a stubborn teen to force her to learn, but in French not English.I appreciated the photography and the location but I continually had to resist the temptation to check my watch. It might be just over 90 minutes but at times it seemed like hours. It would drag and drag and then suddenly leap forward after she learns the sign for one object. The next thing we know is she is showing off how she can spell her name and understanding abstract concepts like 'patience'. There was also the monologue at the end which seemed especially message-y.I liked the acting by Isabelle Carré and Brigitte Catillon but Ariana Rivoire as the deaf/blind girl didn't impress. Possibly it was just because she had so little to work with. To sum up, see "The Miracle Worker" instead.