Ne fais pas ça ! (2004)
Directed by Luc Bondy

Film Review

Ne fais pas ça is the third film from the greatly respected Swiss theatre director Luc Bondy (his previous two films being made in Germany). This is one of those uncompromising French realist dramas which impresses more with its presentation than it does with its content. The characters and their predicament appear drearily familiar and the screenwriters do little to engage our interest other than serve up yet another grim dose of conflict and angst. It is left to Bondy and his technical crew to give these narrative cold cuts a perspective that will draw us into the film rather than leaving us flinching from another bout of déjà-vu.

The problem is that Bondy has so little scope for originality and his efforts serve merely to emphasise the dreadful 'saminess' of the far from original storyline. At first, Bondy's attempts at over-playing the auteur hand help to define the film and give it a new edge, but these soon become wearisome once it is apparent there is little substance beneath the thickly trowelled on stylisation. Even with lead actors as capable as Nicole Garcia (Betty Fisher et autres histoires (2001)) and Natacha Régnier (La Vie rêvée des anges (1998)) the film struggles to maintain our interest much beyond the midway point and Ne fais pas ça ultimately ends up looking like just another overblown auteur piece - with plenty of directorial flair on the surface but very little depth and meaning beneath it.

Film Synopsis

After a violent row, Nicole walks out on her boyfriend Joel and returns to live with her parents, Francis and Edith, taking her infant son with her.  Unable to accept that their relationship is over, Joel continues to harangue Nicole, but she is no hurry to return to him.  This domestic crisis has unexpected consequences and begins to unsettle the apparently tranquillity of Nicole's parents.  For the past few years, Edith has been having an affair with another man, something that Francis has been unable to deal with - until now...