[4] Lena, a single mother of two young children, takes a trip from Paris to Brittany to spend a holiday with her family at the country house.
[6] Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, writing: "With [André] Téchiné-like expertise, Honoré delicately weaves together the dramas of his characters' lives.
"[7] He added: "Though those dramas aren't always interesting (one could even say the character of Frédérique is completely beside the point), Making Plans for Lena is a gorgeous tapestry nonetheless.
"[7] Jordan Mintzer of Variety wrote: "While Love Songs and Dans Paris revealed prolific filmmaker Christophe Honore to be a direct descendant of the French New Wave, he heads straight into Arnaud Desplechin territory with the turbulent family drama Making Plans for Lena.
"[8] Meanwhile, Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter commented that "Mastroianni provides a vividly intense turn in the title role, but the film's narrative diffuseness and excessive stylization defeats her best efforts.