L'HEURE D'ETE (SUMMER HOURS)

France, 2008, 103 minutes, Colour.
Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jeremie Renier, Edith Scob, Dominique Reymond, Valerie Bonneton, Isabelle Sadoyan, Kyle Eastwood, Alice de Lencquesaing, Emile Berling.
Directed by Olivier Assayas.

Olivier Assayas is a celebrated French director who has made films in a wide range of genres. These include science fiction, Irma Vepp; dramas set in Canada like Clean; speculative films like Demon Lover; French heritage films like Les Destines. He contributed to Paris I Love You as well as making the celebrated television series, Carlos. Summer Hours is a rather quiet variation on more domestic themes, looking and sounding very much like the average French film. However, with his cast and the writing, he gives it a strength of drama as well as insight into characters.

The very good cast includes Juliette Binoche as the daughter of Edith Scob, a woman celebrating her seventy-fifth birthday, who has been in a relationship with a famous artist and wants to make sure that his heritage continues while she knows that her children will sell the house, having far different lives from her own. Charles Berling and Jeremie Renier portray her sons. The older is settled in France, the younger has a career in China and is moving to Asia with his wife and young children.

The film is really a succession of scenes, the mother’s birthday and the assembly of the family, her funeral, the discussions about her will, going to the lawyers for discussion, the experts from the Musee d'Orsay coming to evaluate the artistic contents. The film ends with a nostalgic note for the past as well as an admission that there are changing generations and the young children and teenagers come to party in the old heritage house.

There is a pleasing atmosphere about the film, about the family difficulties (without bitterness and resentments). The film is shot in a naturalistic kind of way, very fluent camerawork which gives an impression that the audience has been invited to be part of these episodes and to get to know the family.

1. A particularly French film, family, relationships, issues?

2. The director, his range of films, topics, a more personal film?

3. The title, the bright colours, the pace, camera movement?

4. A sense of realism, the portrait of the family, the mother, the celebration of the birthday? Her death? The family secrets? The different generations? The settled marriages, families, work? The settling in France, the moving overseas? Change, symbolised by the selling of the house, the younger generation and their attitudes?

5. The focus on art, the museum and its interest in various pieces, the references? The staff of the museum? Paintings, furniture, vases etc? Art and beauty? Different styles, artists and their tastes? Personal collections? Attitudes of family, keeping pieces, selling? The donation to the gallery?

6. The portrait of Helene, at seventy-five, her style, manner, dress, speaking? Her past, her lack of relationship with her husband, changing back to her maiden name after his death? Her veneration of Paul, the affair, her devotion to his art, his collection, her adding to it? Her not telling the children about her life? The party, her not wanting the fuss, the gifts, the phone and her not being able to use it, the wrap? The book of Paul’s art, her delight? Her talk about her death with Frederic, Jeremie? The inheritance? Her realisation that things would change? Her relationship to each of her children? to Eloise, Eloise looking after her? Her off-screen visit to San Francisco, the opening? Her death, the funeral, talk about the priest, the donation? The French tradition?

7. Eloise, her age, at work, her looking after Helene, the practicalities, serving, a companion to Helene, Helene’s moods and silences, Helene confiding in Eloise? Her leaving, the nephew bringing her in the taxi, not wanting to impose, the gift of the vase? Her not realising its value?

8. The succession of scenes, like acts of a play, chapters of a book?

9. The happiness of the summer, the children and their play, the treasure hunt? Frederic and his wife, their comfortable relationship, the edginess about their daughter, her being older than her cousins, the role of the son? Jeremie and Angela, their children? Adrienne, her talk with the others, at ease, her moving to New York, France and the movement to US, China opportunities?

10. The funeral, the children meeting, the discussions, in the house? Frederic and his wanting to keep the house, Jeremie and his explanations about the opportunities in China, selling in France, moving to Beijing? Holidays in Bali? Adrienne, her relationship with James, being in New York, the announcement of the engagement? The decisions about the house, the vote?

11. The visit to the lawyer, the tensions, the agreement, Frederic and his wife supporting him, Jeremie and Frederic, the drink afterwards, remaining friends?

12. The sequence at the house, the appraisal of the artwork, Adrienne wanting to auction the sketches in New York, the difficulties of the museum? The representatives of the museum, the cataloguing of the art, the reactions? Frederic and his wanting to keep some paintings?

13. The board, the discussions, the objection that this kind of material would be simply kept in storerooms rather than exhibited.

14. Frederic, the summons from the police, his daughter and her shoplifting, his talking with her, her surly attitude, the discussions about smoking pot?

15. The generally happy lives of the characters, their regrets, their hopes?

16. The next generation, more carefree, going to the house, the celebration, the music, the mess? Yet the daughter, her talking, her memories and her grief?