Les Enfants
2005 Comedy / Drama / Romance
|
|
|
Summary
After the breakdown of his marriage, fifty-something Pierre resolves to
do the best for his two sons - fourteen-year-old Victor and
nine-year-old Thomas. To that end, he sets about looking for a
larger apartment, hoping to make their stay with him more
comfortable. His home-hunting is quickly derailed when he falls
head-over-heels in love with estate agent Jeanne. A passionate
love affair quickly ensues and Jeanne persuades Pierre to move in with
her. The only problem is that she is also divorced and has two
young children of her own. With four youngsters from two
broken homes living under the same roof, Jeanne and Pierre soon find
their relationship pushed to breaking point...
Review
Anyone who enjoyed Christian Vincent’s beguiling 1994 film La
Séparation is encouraged to take a look at this
similar, lovingly crafted portrait of domestic strife, which takes a
light-hearted look at the stresses and strains that children can place
on an adult relationship. In common with much of his work,
Vincent adopts a gentle, naturalist approach which lends the film both
authenticity and charm, whilst avoiding the usual clichés which
mar many a similar film. The performances, are without exception, excellent - and not just the adult leads. Gérard Lanvin and Karin Viard are convincing both as stressed parents and as a middle-aged couple rediscovering the joys of love. But, just as impressive, are the four child actors, each of whom looks like a real character rather than, as is so often the case, a child struggling self-consciously to play a role. Admittedly, there isn’t much substance to the narrative and, after a while, the film begins to feel a little repetitive, but the overall impression is positive. Les Enfants is an engaging slice-of-life comedy-drama which entertains whilst offering a sobering reflection of the times we now live in, where children grow up too fast and become both the victims and the cause of a conjugal breakdown. © James Travers 2008 Write a review for this film... |
To buy this film:  More selected DVDs... |
