Customer Reviews

The Son ( Le fils ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I warn you, please do not read any of the reviews about this movie until you have seen it. I will not describe the plot to you because I feel it is best to walk in cold. The movie is complex with emotions and a major plot twist that is better left unsaid.

The movie was directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and brother Luc Dardenne. It was nominated at the Cannes Film Festival for the top prize, the Golden Palm, and was awarded "Best Actor" to Olivier Gourmet who plays Olivier in the film. Also, Morgan Marinne, who plays the young boy, was nominated for a Cesar Award (the equivalent of the Oscar in France) for "Most Promising Actor".

"The Son" tackles some pretty big topics but handles them in a sincere way. We come to believe in these characters, especially Olivier, even though we are not quite sure where this film is headed. Olivier has two sides to him, on one hand he seems like a nice guy and on the other seems malicious. The big subject here is forgiveness. How far would we go to understand those who have caused you harm? But, I've said too much. I realize this is a very vague review, but after you've seen the movie you will thank me.

Here is a movie I recommend to all those who are interested in foreign films and are sick of the big budget brain dead Hollywood films being released this time of year.

I want to say one thing about the film's ending. After watching it some may feel it ends too abruptly. It does not. The movie ends at just the right moment. There is nothing else that could have been added. We know all we need to know about where these people are headed. Please do not complain about the conclusion.

Bottom-line: Subtle, powerful film that seems to sneak up on you. We are never quite sure where the film is going to take us but it manages to deal with its material in a convincing way.

This is an excellent but sadly neglected French film.
The cast, Olivier Gourmet, as the Carpentry Teacher and Morgan Marinne, as his student, are routinely excellent.
As is the story and direction, by the Dardenne brothers who have come up with a strikingly original film.
The story, of Olivier, a Carpentry teacher who teaches teenage
offenders picks up when we learn that his latest student is responsible for the murder of Olivier's infant son in a robbery.
The convicted fellon, Francis, now being rehabilated with a trade, is a gentle, quiet boy, but all the same we view him threw Olivier's eyes, detached, ambivalent but with deep suspicion.
Does Olivier intend revenge or is he only seeking answers.
He becomes so close to the boy that Francis asks Olivier innocently, if he'll become his guardian.
The denouement of this movie, where the main two characters travel alone to a deserted timber yard, is wonderfully handled. It will keep you guessing right to the end.
A fantastic film, expertly produced, excellently acted.
The film is subtle but also absorbing. A real must see!

THE SON is a quiet film that ends up shouting its agony through silence. Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne have filmed what at first appears to be just an ordinary working class man's life (Olivier, a carpenter with apprentices, played with subtle perfection by Olivier Gourmet), following it closely, slyly introducing Olivier's ex-wife (Isabella Soupart) with whom he no longer has contact save for a tragedy they share, and then darkens the picture with the presence of a 16 year old apprentice Francis (Morgan Marinne) who we instantly know has some mystery behind him. Olivier watches the boy's every move, discovers that the boy has just been released form prison where he was incarcerated since age 11 for theft and murder. Olivier realizes this is the boy responsible for his son's death five years ago and he takes Francis under his wing, his motivation remains unsure until the film's surprising end. This is verismo at its peak - just an emotionally charged story, simple, without accoutrements. There is no music soundtrack, only silence and very very little dialogue. But because of this starkness, the significance of the movie is all the more powerful. Perhaps this film is not for everyone: patience and a parcel of time are required to savour it. But THE SON is one of those films that stays in you gut long after the viewing.

A film from Beigium directed by brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne ("Rosetta"). Like Rosetta, "The Son (Le Fils)" explores the emotional turmoil of the protagonist, and watching the process would be torment to some people. Still, great acting of Oliver Gourmet is so impressive that those fans who respect the realistic approach to human behavior will be satisfied with the end result.

Olivier (Olivier Gourmet) is working at a carpentry school, but when a new student Francis is sent to the class, he starts to act a little strangely. He is clearly interested in Francis, but he is also afraid of having it known by the others. But he still keeps on peeping at him from behind the wall, not knowing what to do with himself. But why?

The reason is revealed after 30 minutes (and if you don't want to know it, skip this paragraph). The fact is, Olivier knew Francis killed his son. Still. Olivier takes Francis as a new student, teaching the craft of carpenrty works. Laconic Francis (not knowing the identity of Olivier) begins to feel attached to the teacher, but ... what is Olivier really thinking about? Revenger? Forgiveness? Or he does not know his true mind either?

"The Son" goes on like this, without superfluous dialogues, shot with a hand-held camera. Each take goes on very long, sometimes several minutes without cut, and often the image is shot behind the head of Olivier, as if letting us share his viewpoint. Evidently the directors did thorough rehearsals before shooting, because each shot is realized with the calculated movement of camera.

But the real virtue of the film lies in Olivier Gourmet (seen also in "Read My Lips" and others), who gives a terrific acting full of nuance and emotion. The troubled mind of Olivier comes so natural onto the screen that you almost forgive the film's too arty attitudes (no soundtrack, for instance, like Dogme films). Frankly, I think that "The Son" is a kind of film that appeals more critics than to general audiences. But Olivier Gourmet's performance is a genuine one.

Director Luc Dardenne says that the film is partly inspired by the real-life murder case in Liverpool in 1993. Probably English people remember the case I refer to. As his comment shows, the film deals with an immediate topic in a unique way, and like reality itself, "The Son" is often ambiguous, which becomes the strength of it. Not my cup of tea, I admit, but still well worth watching.

The Belgian Dardenne brothers (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) are renowned (mainly in Europe) for their intense minimalist dramas. Following on the success of Rosetta (1999) which won the prestigious Palm d'Or and La Promese (1996), the brothers embarked on the rigorously stylistic Le Fils (2002).

I must issue a warning for readers: any mention of the plot ruins this film. Everything is a spoiler! This is true since only view of the world the audience sees is through (well over the shoulder) the eyes of the emotionally restrained main character, Oliver (Olivier Gourmet -- won Best Actor at Cannes for this role) and main narrative threads are only slowly revealed by him.

The briefest summary I can give without completely spoiling this wrenching emotional experience is this: Olivier, who works teaching carpentry to male teenagers (many are delinquents seeking a vocation), develops an obsession with one of his charges Francis (Morgan Marinne).

The reason for his behavior is revealed half-way through the film. Le Fils also employs an intense, and occasionally nauseating, cinematography. This might seem surprising and even somewhat distracting in a movie with very little action, however, the Dardenne brothers use this style to adeptly create extreme naturalism. This is further facilitated by the absence of a film score and the presence of Olivier in every frame. All in all, these choices hypnotically draw the reader into Oliviers world -- we see every minute emotion his stoic face betrays, his every inflection speaks volumes, his every action -- even the most routine and every deviation from the routine -- reflect his emotional state. However, this intense character study is only for the most stalwart of movie goers.

Le Fils is a masterpiece. Although the plot is simplistic, the delivery is impeccable. I intensely emphasized with both characters and suffered with them. A truly disorienting and haunting film which every true cinema lover must experience!

Schlumpy Olivier (Olivier Gourmet) is a carpenter who works for a school, where he apprentices teen boys who have recently been released from juvenile detention. He's a bit of a taskmaster and perhaps a bit harsh with the boys. When he's asked to take on a new boy (Francis, played Morgan Marinne), he flatly refuses. However, he is soon following the boy around and seems to know him somehow. Who is this boy and what is the connection to Olivier? The answer is slowly revealed through a serious of revelations. Along the way, we get to know Olivier and his habits; he's meticulous and clearly overly controlled, which could lead to some problems.

"The Son" is a superb but slowly paced film. Belgian directors and brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne ("L'Enfant") rely on handheld digital cameras, which really works for this small story. At times, it feels as though we're breathing down the characters' necks. Although this character-driven drama could hardly be considered a "thriller," it manages to really ratchet up the tension. Specifically, Olivier is so internal and tightly wound that the audience has no idea how he will resolve his issues with this new boy. The ending of the film is breath-taking, although the final denouement is perhaps not as cathartic as some might like. The pace and lack of obvious resolution may turn off some viewers (as reflected by some of the reviews here), but I was mesmerized. This ambiguous gem is a real winner.

I watched this film for the first time about two years ago for a French cinema course. At the time I liked the film, but, like the rest of the class, found it just a tad boring. Time passed, and the film stuck in my mind - more so than most of the other films that we had watched for the class. I decided to check out some of the brothers other films, and after watching and loving "L'enfant" and "Le Promesse" I decided to return to "The Son".

The second-viewing made all the difference. Having now formed a better idea of the Dardenne's style, this time I was blown away by what was among the most involving film-watching experiences I'd ever had. Rather than boring, this time I found it to be tremendously moving, with an ending that left me shaking. The story is simple, yet best left unspoiled for those who have not had a chance to experience the film. The performances are uniformly excellent, conveying immense emotion with the smallest of gestures. The directors have the rare ability to turn everyday events into something profound - something intelligent and moral and even spiritual. This is a masterpiece, and among the two or three best films of the decade.

This Belgian film tells a story of grief and redemption as a teacher in a vocational training center takes on a young student, who is just released from prison, to teach him the fundamentals of carpentry. We watch for a half hour a kind of cat and mouse game between the two of them before we discover the reason for the teacher's initial reluctance to take on the boy as a student and his reticence about the choice he's made. Divorced and living an isolated existence, the man (Olivier Gourmet) seems deadened by whatever has happened in his life, his face an expressionless mask as he goes about the tasks of the day, always in his carpenter's pants and his leather back support - like someone trapped.

Choosing to be the boy's teacher, he embarks on an unlikely attempt to recover the life that has been robbed from him, and what he begins is a process of redemption both for himself and the boy. The film - shot with handheld camera in a cinema verite documentary style - is demandingly unconventional in the way it tells its story, leaving us for long periods in the dark about what we are watching, then revealing volumes in sudden unexpected bursts of dialogue. Inspired by the murder of a small boy by two older boys in England in the early 1990s (as explained by the Dardenne brothers in a DVD interview), the film explores extremes of emotion - rage and grief - and it offers a brave vision of resolution and recovery.

This stark, unnerving drama by the esteemed Dardenne brothers skirts the themes of reckoning and vengeance without committing fully to either one, yet it packs a mighty emotional punch. In a brilliant, haunting performance, Gourmet plays an ordinary tradesman whose motivations, like his emotions, are completely unfathomable: Is he planning to reform Francis, or kill him? With the Dardennes' tight, handheld camerawork, we are immersed in the claustrophobic, indecipherable world of Olivier's body language, and the effect is chilling. Once "The Son" gets you in its vice grip, it doesn't let go.

This is one of the few films I've ever seen where looks and gestures actually communicate more loudly than any words. Olivier's facial expressions are absolutely perfect, and we don't need anyone telling us what he's thinking - or even him talking about what he's thinking to someone else (which is what surely would have happened if this had been a Hollywood film).

Not much happens in this movie - at least in terms of events. What does happen is touching and startling. You wonder why Olivier is following his new carpentry apprentice (Francis) through the street, and you're pretty certain that you know why, based on the title of the film and Olivier's own reactions. But you soon learn that you're wrong. And you're so wrong that it's really quite a shocker.

The ending has just the right amount of suspense, tension, and tenderness - and you will not likely forget this film for a very long time.