NUE PROPRIETE (PRIVATE PROPERTY)

Belgium/France/Luxembourg, 2006, 95 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Huppert, Jeremie Renier, Yannick Renier, Kris Cuppens.
Directed by Joachim Lafosse.

Nue Propriete is a small film which has quite a dramatic impact. Part of the strength of the film is the central performance of Isabelle Huppert, an actress who always looks the same in her films but is able to incarnate an enormously wide range of characters.

Here she plays an angry divorced woman, angry with the husband who has walked out on her and has married his second wife and has a new family. She still lives in the old house, resentful of his absence. But she also lives with her two sons who act in a very immature way: one stays at home and works with his hands around the place, the other a student. (They are played by real-life brothers Jeremie Renier and Yannick Renier – Jeremie Renier being the young man in the Dardennes brothers’ The Child.)

The film is in some ways claustrophobic, much of the action taking place in the family house, the interactions of the mother with her sons, the playfulness between the two brothers, the gradual jealousies and an outbreak of violence. The film also focuses on girlfriends – and a dramatic climax with one brother in his anger accidentally injuring his brother – quite severely. This accident does bring the family together, although there is no possibility that they will be reunited. The main hope is that there will be some kind of understanding and rebuilding of relationships.

Well written and well acted, the film also won a Signis commendation at the Venice film festival in 2006.

1. A slice of life? A glimpse of people, homes, lives, decisions, mistakes, failure – and possibilities?

2. The French dramatic style, the focus on families, the interiors of homes, breaking relationships, the emphasis on meals, tensions, sexual relationships, crises? How well were they used in this film?

3. The focus of locations on the family home, the grounds, the surroundings, the interiors? The few other locations, the other homes, the streets? The musical score – and the final music during the credits of Mahler and the Resurrection Symphony?

4. The title, the focus on property, ownership, claims, money, permissions and permits, agreements, disagreements, support, rights, divisions?

5. The family history: Pasquale and Luc and their marriage, Luc inadequate as a husband, angry, leaving, a loving father, not coping, remarrying after the divorce, his new wife, the baby? His love for his sons, dealing with his former wife, his being an absent father, his visits, Pasquale and her eruptions at his visits at the home? The angers, life, dependencies, needs, coping or not?

6. The portrait of Pasquale, the opening, the mirror, fifty euros for the three slips, her admiring herself, her age, wistfulness? Her sons coming out – and their teasing her? The easy relationship with the twins? The frequent jokes? The many meals, the enjoyment of eating, her cooking the meals, the ease, the growing tensions? Her reaction to Luc’s visit, angers with him, saying that he needed psychiatric treatment? Her job, lack of money, spending the money she got from Luc? Her dream of opening a bed and breakfast, the boys ridiculing the idea? The sexual relationship with Jan, her lying to the boys about his borrowing the lawnmower? The relationship, the secrecy, going for a meal to his family and the enjoyment? Inviting him home, the meal and his cooking it, serving it, his bringing up the issues with the boys, creating the tension, his bad timing? His leaving, saying that he had no right to intervene? Pasquale and the man coming for legal advice and the valuing of the house? Her relationship with her sons, Thierry more like his father, Francois like his mother? The talk, watching the television, her angers? Their treating her like their child, asking where she was going? The demands? The sharing of the car, her forgetting to pick up Thierry? The final tension, the clash with Thierry, her deciding to leave? Packing, Francois not telling Thierry where she was going? The visit to the friend, the delight in the baby? The passing of time, her decision not to sell the house? The accident, hurrying into the house, to the hospital? Going home, meeting Jan? Literally picking up the broken pieces together with Luc?

7. Luc, his life, leaving, his age, Pasquale’s anger, his granting the divorce, supplying the money, not putting it in her account, giving money to the boys? His visits, advice to his boys? His wife, the baby? Pasquale’s visit to his house, his wiping his hands of the situation? Going to the hospital, caring for Francois? Picking up the pieces with Pasquale?

8. Jan, Flemish, the Walloons looking down on the Flemish? His relationship with Pasquale, the sexuality, the cooking, the ideas and plans for the bed and breakfast? The meal with his family? His coming to the house, cooking and serving, the intervention, his bad timing, leaving, Pasquale’s visit, his coming at the end? What future with her?

9. The twins, the different appearance, Francois being the older, the discussions about conception and being born? Doing things together, their bonds, playing table tennis, on the bike in the mud, shooting the rats in the pond, in the bath and washing each other’s hair, the similarities? Thierry like his father, erupting? Francois more gentle, like his mother? Their characters, Thierry studying, Francois and his maintenance work around the house? The beginnings of tension about their mother, the television, the fights, Thierry taking the bike and Francois demanding it back? Pulling each other out of the car and their mother driving off? Their teasing their mother, the meals?

10. The growing tension, Thierry and his anger, his relationship with Anne, his demands on her? The idea of selling the house, his demands about money, ownership, ridiculing his mother’s ideas? His father giving him the money? The fight with Francois over the bike? Meeting with Anne, bringing her home, the visit, his sexual inadequacy? His cleaning the house, the next morning, Anne laughing, the Superman story told by Francois? The build-up to the fight, his injuring Francois? Francois, more genial character, calmer? More kind to his mother? The build-up to the bike clash, the fight, his injury?

11. Thierry and his fright after the accident, unable to face people, hiding? The audience watching Thierry in close-up and seeing the father, the ambulance and the mother arrive?

12. Supporting cast – Luc’s wife and the baby, Anne and her relationship with Thierry?

13. The ending, audiences not knowing what happened to Francois? Luc and Pasquale picking up the pieces in the kitchen? The long drive away from the house? Mahler and the Resurrection Symphony?