Voilà (1994) - film review

A father takes his two month old baby son to the countryside and introduces him to the sights, sounds and smells of the natural world.  Having greeted a friendly cow, they explore a forest and end up on a deserted beach, where the father takes his son into the sea and baptises him into the community of men.

Bruno Podalydès’ follow-up to his acclaimed short film Versailles Rive-Gauche (1992) is this equally beguiling little film which is striking in its humanity and naturalism.  Plot-wise, there is virtually nothing to the film.  A father and his baby son (respectively played by the director’s brother Denis and son Jean) are tracked by the camera as they explore the wonders of nature offered by a field, a wood and a beach.  There is nothing remotely sensational about this film and yet it is thoroughly absorbing, a heart-warming portrayal of a father attempting to bond with his newly born son by sharing with him his love for nature.  Jean Podalydès would subsequently play Denis Podalydès as a child in Le Parfum de la dame en noir (2005), again under the direction of Bruno Podalydès.

© James Travers 2011

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