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Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Eleanor the Great’ Opens in France With Warm Early Reviews

Her directing debut draws on her family’s Holocaust history to examine grief, memory and identity.

Overview

  • The feature marks Johansson’s first time behind the camera, with critics calling the film a subtle, tender portrait anchored by June Squibb.
  • Now in French cinemas after a May unveiling at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, the drama centers on a 94-year-old who adopts her late friend’s Holocaust survivor story.
  • June Squibb, 94, leads the cast, with Erin Kellyman and Chiwetel Ejiofor in supporting roles noted in festival coverage.
  • Johansson has linked the project to her Jewish heritage, citing relatives lost in the Warsaw ghetto and emphasizing the duty to transmit testimony.
  • Early reception highlights an audience prize reported at the Deauville Festival and praise for Squibb’s late-career showcase.