Le Fils à Jo (2011) - film review

Like his father and grandfather before him, Jo Canavaro, is a rugby legend.  Unfortunately his 13-year-old son Tom has no interest in the sport and shows a far greater aptitude for maths than he does for rugby.  Jo is determined that Tom will continue his family’s tradition of sporting prowess and so organises a rugby team for his son’s benefit.  However, Tom is less than enthusiastic...

Le Fils à Jo is a film that appeals far more to the heart than to the head.  Its shortcomings are many and all too apparent, but it has, for all that, an undeniable charm and is easy to engage with.  Despite the abundance of clichés and a storyline that offers few surprises, the film is crafted with sincerity and offers an authentic, and at times extremely poignant, portrayal of the relationship of a father and his teenage son.  It is tempting to make comparisons with other similar coming-of-age dramas in a regional setting, such as Kes and Billy Elliot, but this should be resisted.   Le Fils à Jo is a flawed, understated little film which should be judged on its own merits.  Whilst it falls down in the writing and directing departments, it amply redeems itself on the acting front, mainly through the efforts of Gérard Lanvin and Jérémie Duvall.   It is so easy to schmaltz-up the father-son relationship, to reduce it to trite cliché and clumsy mawkishness, but Lanvin and Duvall have such a natural on-screen rapport and play their parts so convincingly that you cannot help warming to them.  In one of his best performances to date, Lanvin brings a startling reality to his portrayal, subtly exposing a genuine paternal tenderness and emotional insecurity beneath a brutish Teflon exterior, whilst Duvall, in his first major screen role, shows great promise as an actor.

Le Fils à Jo marks the directing debut of Philippe Guillard, whose previous screenwriting credits include the similarly sports-themed 3 Zéros (2002) and the hit comedy Camping (2006).   Guillard was formerly a rugby player and sports journalist, something which gives the film its verisimilitude.  Guillard not only understands the game but also the power it exerts over its enthusiasts, and this comes through in his portrayal of Jo and his sports-addicted buddies.  Guillard may be a little prone to cliché, but his characters are from being shallow caricatures, and they are played with conviction by some highly talented actors.   The superlative leads Gérard Lanvin and Jérémie Duvall are ably supported by Olivier Marchal, Vincent Moscato and Karina Lombard.   Marchal’s performance is the most surprising - a sympathetic character turn that is far removed from the hard-man gangster/policier roles that he is better known for.  Although the film’s tendency for sentimentality is a little aggravating at times (the syrupy music certainly doesn’t help), the quality of the acting and its homespun simplicity win us around in the end.

© James Travers 2011

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