This second feature from director Maurice Barthélémy is a typically French
take on the “Road Movie” concept, whose defining characteristics
are minimalism and near-the-knuckle realism.
The film's slow pace and sparse narrative is off-putting
at first, but its strange allure (and some quiet moments of genuine poignancy) soon draws
the spectator in, and ultimately it impresses as a deeply moving, skilfully understated
piece of drama.
Alain Chabat is far better known for playing comic roles than
straight dramatic roles but in this film he demonstrates a surprising talent for the latter,
although his contribution is very nearly eclipsed by the delightful Martin Combes, who
plays the traumatised boy Louis with an understanding and sensitivity way beyond his years.
Papa is a thoughtful and stirring meditation on fatherhood and the unbreakable bond between a father
and his son.
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
Louis would seem to have the best father a boy of his age could ask for
- thoughtful, caring, always laughing. And yet, somehow, there seems
to be an unbridgeable gulf between the two of them. There is so much
that Louis wants to know about, and he is not always satisfied with the answers
his father gives him. As they go on a long car journey across the highways
and byways of rural France, the father and his son get to know each other
a little better. Both have their secrets and their sorrows. Both
have a need to escape and find meaning in life. Will their adventure
on the open road allow them to find what they seek, or will it merely widen
the gulf that exists between them...?
Since the 1920s, Hollywood has dominated the film industry, but that doesn't mean American cinema is all bad - America has produced so many great films that you could never watch them all in one lifetime.
In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.