COMEDY . 1983 . 1h 32m . 6.5/10

Les mots pour le dire_

A psychological drama that details the tormented relationship between Marie and her mother, stemming from Marie's childhood on their estate in Algeria. The mother, Eliane had lost a child before Marie was born and was consumed with hatred for her husband who was carrying tuberculosis and may have been the cause of the child's death. That hatred was never resolved, and Marie grew up in a bitter and strained household. As both women grow older, Marie marries and raises a family while her mother sinks ever deeper into anger, frustration, poverty, and isolated despair. She vents her destructive emotions on her daughter and is completely resistant to her daughter's attempts to help her, to make her life better.

Starring Nicole Garcia, Marie-Christine Barrault, Daniel Mesguich
6.5/10
Rating
1h 32m
Runtime
1983
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
Les mots pour le dire poster

A psychological drama that details the tormented relationship between Marie and her mother, stemming from Marie's childhood on their estate in Algeria. The mother, Eliane had lost a child before Marie was born and was consumed with hatred for her husband who was carrying tuberculosis and may have been the cause of the child's death. That hatred was never resolved, and Marie grew up in a bitter and strained household. As both women grow older, Marie marries and raises a family while her mother sinks ever deeper into anger, frustration, poverty, and isolated despair. She vents her destructive emotions on her daughter and is completely resistant to her daughter's attempts to help her, to make her life better.

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast
Nicole Garcia stars as Marie Saint-Jean in Les mots pour le dire.
Nicole Garcia →
Year context
Les mots pour le dire was released 43 years ago in 1983.
Overview
A psychological drama that details the tormented relationship between Marie and her mother, stemming from Marie's childhood on their estate in Algeria. The m...
Les mots pour le dire is a Comedy, Drama film with a runtime of 1h 32m.

CAST (20)

Nicole Garcia
Nicole Garcia
Marie Saint-Jean
Marie-Christine Barrault
Marie-Christine Barrault
Eliane Saint-Jean
Daniel Mesguich
Daniel Mesguich
Psychoanalyst
Claude Rich
Claude Rich
Guillaume Talbiac
Jean-Luc Boutté
Jean-Luc Boutté
François
Michèle Baumgartner
Michèle Baumgartner
Michèle
Jean-Louis Foulquier
Jean-Louis Foulquier
Bertheas
Robin Renucci
Robin Renucci
Marie's father
CB
Céline Blanc-Potard
Jeanne
VG
Violaine Gonce
Marie, child
Denise Noël
Denise Noël
Nurse
BM
Bernard Montagner
Intern
AN
Annie Noël
Nurse
Robert Party
Robert Party
Finchel
RM
Rudolph Monori
Rudolph
Marie Cardinal
Marie Cardinal
Editor
CL
Chaabia Laadraoui
Nany
MH
Marie-Jo Hareux
Woman at the bar
Anne-Marie Jabraud
Anne-Marie Jabraud
Metro station chief
Zakia Tahiri
Zakia Tahiri
Young tango dancer

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
92 min (1h 32m)
Country
Rating
6.5/10 (2 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Les mots pour le dire about?
A psychological drama that details the tormented relationship between Marie and her mother, stemming from Marie's childhood on their estate in Algeria. The mother, Eliane had lost a child before Marie was born and was consumed with hatred for her husband who was carrying tuberculosis and may have been the cause of the child's death. That hatred was never resolved, and Marie grew up in a bitter and strained household. As both women grow older, Marie marries and raises a family while her mother sinks ever deeper into anger, frustration, poverty, and isolated despair. She vents her destructive emotions on her daughter and is completely resistant to her daughter's attempts to help her, to make her life better.
How long is Les mots pour le dire?
Les mots pour le dire has a runtime of 92 minutes (1h 32m).
Who stars in Les mots pour le dire?
The cast of Les mots pour le dire includes Nicole Garcia, Marie-Christine Barrault, Daniel Mesguich, Claude Rich, Jean-Luc Boutté.
What is the rating of Les mots pour le dire?
Les mots pour le dire has a rating of 6.5 out of 10 based on 2 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (2)

Comedy Drama
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