LE PERE DES MES ENFANTS (THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN)

France, 2009, 110 minutes, Colour.
Louis- Do de Lencquesaing, Chiara Caselli, Alice de Lencquiesaing, Alice Gautier, Manelle Driss.
Directed by Mia Hansen- Love.

An impressive film from a director still in her 20s. A film about family and relationships but also a film about the film industry.

The first part focuses on Gregoire (Louis- Do de Lencquesaing), a very busy producer. In fact, the first ten minutes show him making phone call after phone call on his mobile phone, as he leaves the building, walks along the street, finds his car, drives (speedily and without seat belt), the camera tracking him. (Perhaps this is a record for showing mobile phone use in cinema – an opening that would have been impossible twenty years earlier.). He does get pulled up by the police!

At his country home, he has a loving wife, Sylvia (Chiara Caselli), and three daughters, the younger two devoted to their father, the young teenager (de Lenquesaing's daughter, Alicia) moody and reclusive. There are some exuberant family sequences, but the phone is never far away.

When tragedy strikes the family, the film moves attention to the wife and her skills in handling the crisis in the film company. She shows a great deal of courage and energy trying to save the business side of the company.

The last part of the film shifts to Clemence, the older daughter, and how she handles the situation and her feelings – and the possibility that she will move into the film industry.

In her early career, the director was helped by Humbert Balsan, an energetic producer who, with extreme good will towards film-makers, especially from countries whose industries were developing, over-extended himself and took his own life in 2005. The film serves as a tribute to him, an acknowledgement of gratitude and an insight into the pressures of the film business, the continual need for money and trying to deal delicately and diplomatically with the moods and performances in real life but artistic types. This makes for an interesting and satisfying film.

1. The work of a young film-maker? Based on actual characters and events? Her respect for the original director, his support, life? His death? Insight and feeling?

2. The French-Scandinavian? perspective? The city of Paris, the streets, the film world, the producer and his offices, banks?

3. The contrast with the holiday house, the outings, family life?

4. The contrast with the studios, the sets, in France, in Scandinavia, the production world?

5. The musical score and its atmosphere?

6. The title, the focus on Gregoire, on his wife, on his daughters, on Clemence?

7. The opening, the fluid takes, the mobile camera, the movement, Gregoire in the office, the car, talking on his phone, the chain of events and people, the deals, pacifying difficult people? The police, the car and the seatbelt? The accusation, being taken to the station, picked up by Silvia? The introduction to his character and his being busy?

8. The weekend, Sylvia and her Italian background, love for her husband, the children? Meals, the focus on each of the three daughters? Playing with their father? Clemence and her seeming jealousy? The father handling the relationship with all the children, with the phone calls, with his wife?

9. The situation, several films in production? The staff at the office, the phone calls, the needs? The catalogue of films? Stig and the budget for Sweden, the clashes? Gregoire and his depression? The discussions, discussions with the banks, the refusals, his getting the gun, suddenly killing himself in the street?

10. The aftermath, grief, the effect on the children, on the whole family, the funeral?

11. Sylvia becoming the focus of the film, like a second act of a play? Documents, information, their going to the office, discussions with the staff, visit to Sweden, discussions with Stig, diplomacy, facing the facts, having to sell the company? The members of the company and their reactions?

12. The daughters and their characters, their love for their father, the film focusing its attention on Clemence?

13. The gossip about Gregoire, having another child, Clemence finding the letters, visiting the mother of the child? The mother’s reaction? The information about the child? Clemence going to the studio, the relationship with the would-be writer?

14. The audience experiencing the three different characters? The three different movements and moods of the film? The collapse, the recovery, mementoes – and the possibility of a new life?