The Hedgehog

In a wealthy Paris apartment building, Renée Michel works as the concierge, presenting herself as a grumpy, unkempt widow who fits every expectation the residents have of her. In private she is a self-taught reader devoted to literature, music, philosophy and art, a passion she keeps hidden from the disdainful tenants. Upstairs lives Paloma Josse, an eleven-year-old of unusual intelligence who finds her privileged surroundings hollow and intends to end her life on her twelfth birthday. The arrival of Kakuro Ozu, a Japanese man who moves into the building, unsettles both of them: he senses that Renée's rough manner conceals something more, and his interest draws her out of her isolation, while Paloma, who has been recording her sharp observations of the people around her, finds in the pair unexpected company.

The Hedgehog is a French and Italian production directed by Mona Achache, who also wrote the screenplay. It was her first feature, followed by Bankable, Les Gazelles and Little Girl Blue. Josiane Balasko plays Renée, with Garance Le Guillermic as Paloma, Togo Igawa as Kakuro Ozu, and Anne Brochet, Ariane Ascaride and Wladimir Yordanoff in supporting roles.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.1 from roughly 307,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.2 from a much smaller number of votes. A critics' rating of 7 out of 10 from 71 reviews places it close to the audience scores.