Father Of My Children
French hit premiers Friday March 5
Sometime Cahiers du Cinema critic Mia Hansen-Løve follows up her impressive debut feature, Everything is Forgiven, with an effort inspired by the life and death of revered French Producer Humbert Balsan. The films central character, Grégoire (played by Louis-Do de Lencquesaing) has the outward appearance of a chaotic wheeler dealer, but a serious devotion to cinema.
Though he’s established early in the film as well-night unflappable, Grégoire’s reserves of energy and finance are steadily eroded, and he hits a dramatic breaking point, with his wife Sylvia (Chiara Caselli) and three daughters forced to cope with the outcome. De Lencquesaing's own daughter Alice makes a striking debut as Grégoir’s oldest daughter, though the cast as a whole are strong. The cinematography is functional, and lets an affecting story unfold without crowding it. For lovers of film, this is a drama that pays homage to the cinema, and yet shows us unsparingly what happens to many of those who love it.
