Father Of My Children (DVD)

Father of my Children was inspired by the life of writer-director Mia Hanson-Løve's friend, the producer Humbart Bulsan, a risk-taker who worked early on with such extraordinary directors as Claire Denis. Louis-Do de Lencquesaing plays Gregorie Canvel, a family man and the head of prestigious film production company Moon Films. Canvel's passion for funding new and exciting films and nurturing promising talent has got his company into crippling and ever-increasing debt, but he refuses to acknowledge this fact, continuing to finance up-and-coming filmmakers as enthusiastically as ever. Eventually, however, reality begins to set in, and Gregorie makes a decision that will profoundly affect both him and his family.

This film was the recipient of the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes last year, and it's since been met with considerable critical acclaim - but is all the hype justified? The answer is a resounding 'yes'. Hanson-Løve gets beautiful, brilliantly judged performances out of her talented leads, and displays a complete command of her material in terms of structure, theme, mood.

Early on, the scenes depicting moments of intimacy between Gregorie and his family are always brief, truncated; cutting out a few seconds or even minutes before we'd expect them to. This helps Hansen-Løve avoid overwrought sentimentality. It also emphasises Gregorie's engagement with his work: we're repeatedly brought out of the domesticity of family life and thrust back into the bustling world of film production work. This swift interlacing of scenes also provides a contrast with the languid pace of later moments, in which the camera is allowed to linger on characters' faces for longer than usual, focusing on the aftermath of the film's central tragedy.

Crucial to the film's success is its deft handling of tone. Though its subject matter is far from cheerful, it possesses a lightness that counterpoints the sadness of the unfolding events. The film also avoids conventionality by refusing to spell out every emotion the characters experience. Like two of the other best films of last year, Fish Tank and 35 Shots of Rum, its family relationships are infused with a good deal of ambiguity, which lends it an affecting sense of authenticity. In these respects, and more, it's the work of a real, individual talent, one whose next film is surely something worth waiting for with great anticipation. Highly recommended.

Overall Verdict: A fresh, involving work from a major new talent.

Special Features:
Interview with director Mia Hansen-Løve
Theatrical trailer

Reviewer: Tom René