Film Review
Philippe Lioret describes his latest film
Le Fils de Jean as a 'family
thriller'. Loosely based on Jean-Paul Dubois's novel
Si ce livre
pouvait me rapprocher de toi, it is another deceptively simple work in
which a rootless young Frenchman, unsure of himself and the direction his
life is taking, undertakes a journey to Quebec to find out more about the
father he never knew he had. It is hardly the most original of scenarios
but Lioret brings to it his customary flair for character detail and delivers
a modest film that powerfully engages with the emotions, albeit not quite
as strongly as some of his previous films, notably
Welcome (2009). In its tone
and subject matter, it greatly resembles the director's earlier family drama,
Je vais bien, ne
t'en fais pas (2006).
Making good use of its picturesque Montreal setting,
Le Fils de Jean
offers some striking visuals that subtly mirror the changing mood of the
central protagonist - admirably portrayed by Pierre Deladonchamps - as he
tries to inveigle his way into his father's family without them discovering
who he is. Deladonchamps first revealed his formidable talents in Alain
Guiraudie's
L'Inconnu du lac (2013), for which he won the Most Promising
Actor César in 2014. As the rudderless Mathieu he turns in another
nuanced, sensitive portrayal and conveys something of the desperate yearning
of a man who needs to connect with his dead father so that he can acquire
an adult identity and make something of his own life, before it is too late.
The film is equally well served by its contingent of Canadian actors, in
particular Gabriel Arcand, who brings an impressive depth and breadth to
the most complex character, Pierre, who effectively becomes a substitute
for the missing father, helping to guide Mathieu on his essential journey
towards maturation. As in all of Lioret's films, the plot plays second
fiddle to the characters and how they interact with one another, so whilst
the film's mystery component falls somewhat flat and feels like an unnecessary
add-on, the character portrayals are startlingly vivid and make this one
of the director's more engaging and humane films to date.
© James Travers 2017
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
Mathieu, a 33-year-old divorcé with a young son, is taken by surprise
one day when he receives a telephone call from a stranger notifying him of
the death of his father Jean. Having been brought up by a single mother,
Mathieu has no clue as to the identity of his father and so is curious to
find out more. It appears that his father has been living in Canada
for some time and has two grown-up sons. On the pretext of collecting
a parcel left to him by his father, Mathieu makes the journey to Montreal
to attend the funeral and is met by Pierre, a close friend of Jean.
The latter coldly warns Mathieu that his stepbrothers Sam and Ben are unaware
of his existence and he must on no account reveal his identity to them at
this difficult time. It seems that Jean died from a heart attack whilst
fishing from his boat in the middle of a lake and the body hasn't yet been
recovered. As he gets to know his father's Canadian family and acquaintances,
Mathieu wonders why his existence was kept from them. He soon begins
to suspect that something is amiss...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.