Gregoire Canvel has two major passions in his life: producing art-house movies and his family. Right from the opening scenes of this movie we can see that he his in trouble … the financial kind. The Production House that he owns has enormous debts and Gregoire with one hand permanently holding a cellphone to his ear and the other one grasping a cigarette zips around Paris trying to get enough finance in place to keep his latest movies in production. It’s as precarious as his driving …. which results in another obstacle …. but somehow he has the air of a man who is going to pull it altogether despite the odds that are staked against him.
When he retreats to his country home with his wife and children the pressure never relents up as the phone rings off the hook, but somehow he still finds time for the children who he obviously adores. It’s a two-way thing and even though they and their mother spend so much of their time hanging around waiting for him, he is still their rock.
Gregoire’s confident manner lulls us to thinking that he will turn the business around so it is an enormous shock when he finds another more drastic way out. His legacy is not just the children but also one of the finest back catalogues of art-house movies and his wife must now decide how to cherish and safeguard both of their futures.
This startling and powerful French movie rather unnerves you as it gets to its core. More so when one knows that it is loosely base on the life of Humbert Balsan who had been responsible for producing the work of auteurs such as Lars Van Trier and Clare Dennis before his abrupt death in 2005. I know that it’s tougher than hell to get even the best independent movies off the ground but I had no concept that the price some people have paid haD been this high.
Faultlessly written, beautifully acted by an impeccable cast , the movie picked up a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, which for once was truly deserved.
★★★★★★★★
