MY FATHER’S GUESTS/ LES INVITES DE MON PERE

France, 2010, 100 minutes, Colour.
Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Michel Aumont, Valerie Benguigui, Veronica Novak, Raphael Personazz.
Directed by Anne Le Ny.

This is a French comedy of manners.

The film reflects some attitudes in Europe, specifically France, in the first decade of the 21st-century, the range of migrants, their illegal status, social protest, and a portrait of middle-class French and migrants from Eastern Europe.

The film has a very good role for Michel Aumont, a veteran of films for many decades. He is an old man, veteran of the Resistance, now a widower, who gets it into his head that he should make his home available for some refugees, possibly from Senegal. In fact, he invites a mother and daughter from Moldava, goes through a form of civil marriage, is attracted to the woman, falling in love, and doing everything at her behest, including firing his long-time housekeeper – and decides to ask his son and daughter to renounce their inheritance in favour of the woman.

Fabrice Luchini is the son, somewhat alienated from his father, critical of the woman, but deciding to support his father. Karin Viard is his doctor sister, rather proper and exact. However, she breaks out, is concerned about the migrant’s daughter and her education, the little girl playing with Luchini’s son. His wife is not in favour and eventually goes to the authorities.

Quite a lot of dialogue in the film, some strong discussions about the issues and articulated very well by the central characters.

1. A French comedy of manners? Social situations in France? With migrants from Eastern Europe? 21st-century issues?

2. The city settings, homes, apartments, offices, shops, streets? Musical score?

3. The title and its application? Lucien and his plans, migrants from Africa, illegals, his decision about the mother and daughter from mole Darfur?

4. The focus on Lucien, his age, his record in the Resistance, his social causes, yet hard on his children? Love for his wife, her death? His decision to help migrants? The reaction of his children? The decision about Tatiana and Sorina? The civil marriage? His protection? His attitude towards Tatiana, sexual, falling in love? Her reactions, cold, mercenary, his money? Sorina and her playing with his grandson? His going out, riding the bike, the concert and Tatiana walking out, his asking his children to give up their inheritance?

5. The focus on but Babette, her work as a doctor, severe, organised, her living with Remi, her concern about her father? Growing up, the model child, severe towards her brother? Her reaction to Tatiana, Sorina? Discussions with her brother? The meals with him, the remembering of the past? Her going out on the town, the drinking? Deciding to be more liberated? The affair with the assistant doctor, its continuation, separating from Remi, walking out? Her signing to give up her inheritance? Her concern about Tatiana, not wanting to go to the authorities? Her sister-in-law and the visit to the authorities, arguing with her brother, standing back?

6. The focus on Arnaud? Age, experience, corporate law, in his office, his secretary, orderly? His resentment towards his father’s treatment of him when young, going out, his studies? His marriage, children, 20 years? Love for his wife? Concern about his daughter, her radical causes, her rebellion, his picking her up from the demonstration, her arguing and getting out? His son and his sympathy for Sorina? Her reaction to his father’s plans? The shock of the mother and daughter from Moldava? Her disapproval, seeing Tatiana as a prostitute? Talking with his father? The discussions with his sister? The issue of giving up the inheritance, his signing? His motivations? The authorities? His wife going to the authorities, his standing back?

7. Tatiana, refugee, her background, mercenary, her daughter? The papers, wanting to stay? Lucien helping? The marriage? Her going to work? The daughter going to school? Her slatternly manner, smoking? Going out with Lucien, arranging his pills – and wanting his money? The clashes with the brother and sister? The meals? Lucien going to hospital, and not going to visit him, the preparation to leave and go back home, Arnaud signing the check? The regrets about the daughter doing so well at school?

8. Arnaud’s wife, her place on family, her resentment of Tatiana, the meals, the visits, her exasperation, going to the authorities?

9. Lucien, his housekeeper for so many years, Tatiana firing her? The discussions with Arnaud?

10. Lucien, getting sick, hospital, resenting his daughter, getting out, realising Tatiana did not visit him, her leaving?

11. His retiring to the coast, with his sister, her strictness, vegetarian, Arnaud coming to visit her and sitting and looking at the sea?

12. Issues of society in France? Families, father and children, inheritance? Social consciousness? And the critique of mercenary migrants?