Père et fils
2003 Comedy / Drama
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Credits
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Summary
On his 70th birthday, widower Léo attempts to reunite his three sons after years
of estrangement. David is a successful businessman, employing his younger brother
Simon in a low skill job. Max, the middle brother, is an unemployed good for nothing
who just cannot get on with David. When the birthday party proves to be a disaster,
Léo resorts to subterfuge to achieve his aims. He lets slip that he is shortly
to undergo major surgery to save his life and that this could be the last chance for his
brothers to bury their hatchets before they bury him. The three sons agree to accompany
Léo on a holiday in Quebec to look for whales...
Review
Michel Boujenah is yet another established high-profile French actor to have turned his
hand to film directing fairly late in his career. This, his first work, is an amiable
mix of road movie and French comedy-drama centred on that perennial favourite, the dysfunctional
family. Generally, it’s an entertaining piece, albeit a tad too predictable
and simplistic in parts. The film benefits most from its strong cast, which is headed
by the incomparable Philippe Noiret (an actor with a rare talent for making any character
he plays sympathetic and interesting). Pascal Elbé both stars in the film
(as one of the sons) and co-authored the script. Charles Berling needs no introduction,
but both Pascal Elbé and Bruno Putzulu deserve to be better known; all three actors
play off against each other to great effect, and each individually brings depth and humanity
to what might otherwise have been a pretty superficial film. All in all, a promising début
for a new director.
© James Travers 2005 Write a review for this film... |
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