Pleure pas Germaine (2000) Directed by Alain de Halleux
Comedy / Drama
aka: Don't Cry Germaine
Film Review
Based on the best selling novel by Claude Jasmin, Pleure pas Germaine is a bittersweet,
nostalgic portrait of life in a working class family. As society fragments around
them, the film shows, perhaps with a touch of optimism, the resilience of the family unit
to stick together come what may. It is the first full length film to be directed
by Alain de Halleux, who is perhaps better known for his impressive work as a photo-journalist.
Beautifully filmed, with the poetry and realism of a documentary, the film manages to
be both poignant and amusing. Restrained, naturalistic performances from all of
the cast serve the film well, adding to its realism and allowing the audience to develop
a closer rapport with the characters they so magnificently portray. This is a simple,
modest film, but one that is crafted with great tenderness and humanity.
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Film Synopsis
In an industrial Belgian town, the Bedard family has had more than its fair share of bad
luck. The father, Gilles, has been unemployed for some time, and the mother, Germaine,
is struggling to keep the family together after the death of their eldest daughter, Rolande.
Germaine suggests they leave the town and start a new life in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Giles refuses until he learns that the man thought to be responsible for the death of
his daughter is living in that region. Finally, the two parents and their four children
pack up their few belongings and set out for the Spanish mountains...
From Jean Renoir to François Truffaut, French cinema has no shortage of truly great filmmakers, each bringing a unique approach to the art of filmmaking.