Nos retrouvailles (2007)
Directed by David Oelhoffen

Film Review

Director David Oelhoffen's debut feature make a brave attempt to bridge the gulf between mainstream and art house cinema but, in common with so many films that attempt this feat, it merely ends up floundering in the in-between No Man's Land as a well-meaning but fairly incoherent mess. From its opening scene, which shows the poignant reunion of an estranged father and his son, Nos retrouvailles looks as if it may go down the straggly path of a Mike Leigh style social realist drama.  Instead, it follows the trajectory of a fairly conventional thriller, albeit shot through the cinéma vérité lens of a director who sees himself as a serious auteur rather than a man who is only out to make a quick buck. For a more successful attempt at combining social realism and thriller, Pierre Jolivet's Ma petite entreprise (1999) is recommended viewing.

The film has its merits - notably strong performances from Jacques Gamblin and newcomer Nicolas Giraud (impressive in the role of the introverted son) - but it is unevenly paced and too slow and predictable to work as thriller, and too cautious and contrived to make the grade as a half-decent social realist drama.  David Oehloffen certainly shows some promise as a director and would achieve far better results with his next feature, the spellbinding drama Loin des hommes (2014).

Film Synopsis

20-year-old Marco is uncertain how to react when, after a long period of separation, his father, Gabriel, suddenly re-enters his life.  Their need for each other is evident, but somehow they find it hard to communicate.  Gabriel proposes that they work together and open a night club.  Marco is sympathetic to the idea, until he learns that to finance the venture they will have to turn to crime...