MON FRERE/BROTHER

France, 2019, 96 minutes, Colour.
MHD, Darren Muselet, Aissa Maiga, Jalil Lespert, Youssouf Gueye, Hiam Abbas, Lisette Malidor, Mark Grosy, Neva Kehouane, Didier Michon.
Directed by Julien Abraham.

A French film which can be widely recommended.

At the end, there is a quotation from a declaration of early 1945 that the state has responsibility for its young citizens and its young delinquents. This is a story of a young delinquent.

MHD portrays Teddy, a teenager who has been arrested for shooting his father. The film shows how the father was demandingly violent, brutal towards his wife who has left him. There are continued flashbacks to his treatment of Teddy and of his younger brother, Andy.

Teddy is sent to an institution for teenagers. He is rather silent, seems resentful, remembers his brother and the father’s violence. The institution has a group of interesting carers, some supervising, sometimes intervening in fights, a woman who has boxing skills and encourages the boys to spar and to surface their angers.

One boy is particularly resentful, Enzo, who torments Teddy. However, another boy, large and strong, Moise, turns the group against Enzo, violently humiliating him, leading him to want to escape and asking Teddy to go with him.

The goal is Amsterdam where Teddy’s mother lives. There are some disillusionment when Teddy finds his mother is pregnant. However, Enzo encourages him to go in to see his mother, citing the fact that he could never have this experience because of Enzo’s mother’s absence.

There is a twist at the end in terms of the memories of Teddy and his violent father and the fact that Andy had defended his brother and pulled the trigger. Hence Teddy’s concern throughout the film.

This is a strong film, with characters who are interesting, not always sympathetic, but dramatise harsh situations in homes and in institutions.

1. A slice of French life? Migrant families in France? Domestic violence? The law, internment?

2. The settings, the city and suburbs, the institution and interiors? The trip through France and Belgium? The city of Amsterdam? The musical score?

3. The introduction to Teddy, his grandmother, Andy, the court instructions? His being transferred to the institution? His quiet personality? The audience discovering through the flashbacks the violence of his father, demands, brutality, the mother leaving, and his attack? And the final revelation about Andy with the gun? Teddy’s sense of responsibility?

4. The grandmother, her care, with Andy, communicating with Teddy? With their mother? The visits?

5. The father, brutality? His wife leaving him, the secrecy? The mother, hiding, contacts, in Amsterdam, Teddy seeing her pregnant and his reaction? The reconciliation with his mother?

6. The authorities at the institution, caseworkers, care, interventions, Claude and her kindness, the boxing? Igor, his authority? Papou, ethnic background, authority? The interview with the head of the institution?

7. The various young men, initial reaction to Teddy? The introductions at the table? Enzo and his hostility? The daily life in the institution, and the rooms, sport, meals, showers, the creation outside? The portrait of the different characters?

8. Enzo, making trouble, the assault on Teddy, excrement and his cap, his boxing, the background of his story, the sexual assault, the inmates attacking him, wanting it filmed? Teddy having to get the phone and film? His reaction against the assault? Getting out? His being interrogated by the head?

9. The continued flashbacks, Teddy’s memory of his father, the violence? The discussion with the staff, the boxing and his being unable to continue, then punching?

10. The pressure from Moise? Wanting to leave, with Enzo, Enzo and his violence against Moise, the bike, getting the car, holding up the two young men and ousting them? Getting Andy, Enzo’s hostility, the getting used to each other, the trip?

11. Amsterdam, Teddy and his dancing with the girls, Enzo and his reticence? Finding the mother, her being pregnant, Enzo and his story about not having a mother, urging Teddy out?

12. Teddy and Andy, on the roof, the staff finding them, urging them on, the final close-up of Teddy’s face? His future?