Customer Reviews

Beau Pere

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

THE FILM: It's a shame that a lot of people won't get to see this french movie. For some it will be the ignorance of watching a foreign language film, but for others there's also the highly taboo subject matter; this alone will stop many viewers from going anywhere near it on account of their principals. As I said, it's a shame as it's a very good film and the subject matter is delicately handled throughout. The biggest difference to this particular lolita-type film is that it's the young girl that seduces the older man, and not vice versa. Patrick Dewaere is good as the older man, but it's the scintillating performance of Ariel Besse as the beautiful young girl that stands out. Showing a maturity way beyond her years, you start to empathize with Patrick's character and the moral dilemmas he has to contend with.

THE DVD; Unfortunately, Beau Pere has been given a somewhat poor DVD release. Don't expect any extras; the picture quality is ok, but not great; and you can't even get a time display up to see where you are in the movie!; However, it's the poor subtitling that disappoints the most. As many have already pointed-out, the subtitles go out of synch for about 20 minutes or so during the movie, which makes matters a little confusing. Not only that, but occasionally subtitles will flash-up on the screen very briefly, not even giving you time to read them!. Several times I had to "rewind" the picture, and then pause the DVD so I could read it!. Whilst I don't regret buying the DVD of Beau Pere, this poor subtitling will put me off watching this movie as many times as I would of done otherwise.

Very good film, but fans of Beau Pere demand a new DVD release now!!!.

My hat is off to all the French movie producers...They are all so good. This movie is not the exception. Listening to Marion, a 14 yr old girl convince her step father that she was truly in love with him, made my heart jump out to the little girl. It is amazing how she matures so much during the course of their relationship. At the end, she was making all the mature decisions, while Remy, the step dad, didn't know what to do. The ending is Fantastic. It is left up to interpretation, but the feeling I get is Deja-vu. The only regret I have about this movie is that I will never be able to see it again for the first time. Wish I could give it more that 5 stars. Without a doubt, a must see!

Sadly, a film like this could never be made in the United States. It's more than just the fact that a story about an older man having a sexual relationship with his 14-year-old stepdaughter would never get made or would get a MPAA rating assuring that no one would ever see it. It's that American sensibilities would change the story into something dirty and degrading. It would be totally unlike the beautiful, yet painful, story presented in this French film.

On the surface, this story begins like Nabakov's Lolita--a young girl is left with her stepfather when her mother is killed in an automobile accident. The similarities end here, however. Remy is no Humbert. He loved his wife (in his fashion) and has no designs on his stepdaughter until she professes her desire for him. Remy's intellectual "morality" then struggles with his natural desire for the girl until he is overcome, not without some help. Their relationship then progresses to its inevitable end but not with the smoldering ruin that would be the American version of the story but with two immature people growing up a little bit.

I found this film to be a wonderful experience. I wish films like this could be made in this country without ending up like The Crush or Poison Ivy. Instead, Americans have to settle with reading subtitles and coping with Puritanical morals. Still, it's worthwhile to do so with a movie like this. (Note: In my DVD version of this film, the subtitles got off-track with the dialogue for about twenty minutes half-way through the film and then righted themselves.)

This wonderfully controversial Bertrand Blair film deserves SO much better than this disgusting, muddy looking, non 16:9, poorly remastered DVD release. HALF WAY THROUGH THE FILM, THE SUBTITLES ACTUALLY GO OUT OF SYNCH!

Hopefully a company more deserving will release this, say Criterion...

This is a wonderful film, although only suitable for viewers with solid french language ability, because subtitles only appear only occasionally und do not allow to follow story. Also, the picture quality is marginal. Except for this, the movie is excellent.

Living in the USA I have learned that these 'foreign films' are some of the most exquisite works of art around. The French, Chinese and Japanese filmakers have produced numerous works where it is NOT CLEAR in the first 10 minutes who the hero is, who gets killed and who did it, but rather one must pay attention and become imersed in the movie to appreciate and ejoy the intricacies of a fine piece of art.

Beu pere is no exception. As a male viewer I was horrified at the weak willed and simpering Remy, the stepfather, gets pushed around like a wet rag by prctically every character in the movie. That weakness, Remi's good looks and his droopy eyes make him a temptation for most of the women around him as they see that dichotomy of motherly instict and sexual arousal blast to the surface.

The tradgedy for Remi is that those instincts are transitinal and for that he is doomed to live out his life over and over, a point made crystal clear and the major theme .... The fact that the movie has both pedophelic and incest content it is handled in such an artfull manner that it becomes the spice of the movie rather than a 'slap me in the face' discussion of those two sins ...

Ariel Besse who plays the 14 yr old stepdaughter acts at academy performace levels as she maturs on screen from a young girl to a mature woman unafraid to compete for the affections of a man twice her age.

Finally, if you are a DVD aficionado and look for perfection in quality of the cinematography or subtitle work then forget it ... this DVD is weak in the tech department, and, there are some two or 3 sections where the subtitles are annoyingly out of synch...

It's a marvel of a DVD tender, loving, erotic and a movie you will never forget ...

I rate it 5 stars because I liked the film...the acting was top notch without the nauseating hollywood flash. The subject matter might cause some to squeem, its about a mid-teen falling in love & seducing her step-father; but, overall, I rather enjoyed the movie.

The French have a wonderful view on life & it shows through their dramatic love stories. If you've an open mind (one that can see from the French point of view) I would suggest this movie...

Patrick Dewaere, the male lead of this film, died young with not that many films under his belt. If you never had the pleasure of seeing him, make the time to see this one, perhaps his finest. The director, Bertrand Blier, possesses a rather uneven ouevre of film but this too is one of his best. When Blier is good, he is very, very good indeed. The next best facet to this film is the freshness of its script. It tackles a difficult subject very well. Dewaere's wife dies and as the surviving stepparent, he becomes the guardian for her teenage daughter. One thing leads to another and, next thing, they are having an affair. I think the power of this film comes from its tapping into what must be a deeply buried but "there" fantasy of what it would be like to find oneself in this situation. Certainly it helps that the two principals are very attractive which would not often be the case in real life. I found it absolutely riveting viewing and highly recommend it.

This film was daring for 1981, and given recent history it is probably even more so now. Fun and a little comic at times, it nonetheless explores a tremendously controversial type of relationship. The acting is good throughout, the film is technically well executed. This is exciting and provocative subject matter - and in my humble opinion this is definitely a film for adults only.

The same lolita theme of inevitably flawed and sure to fail love. However the story is powerfully and convincingfully told. For those looking for nudity buy a Naturist DVD ...-- For those looking for a cinematic portrayal of a gripping but sad story this film will please. The DVD version of this title is no better than the VHS version.