Gregoire (Lencquesaing) is a struggling film producer, on one hand consumed by stress and debt; on the other hand, the perfect family man whose family adores him. But with the noose tightening, Gregoire takes drastic action leaving his wife Sylvia (Caselli) and 3 kids to pick up the pieces…
Inspired by French filmmaker Humbert Balsan, who died in 2005, Le Pere de mes Enfants is a beautifully shot, emotional gem. Hansen-Løve’s film is a study of grief; both the grief Gregoire suffers, and the subsequent grief of his family. While Gregoire’s actions are perhaps readable, the direction that the film takes after them is not.
Despite its serious subject matter, the film never seems to smother under the weightiness of the issues it explores and as the credits roll, we are left feeling curiously uplifted by what is essentially, a wonderful character study of a family coping with grief.
Words: Anna Hayes
