The story of a dysfunctional family in Northern France. Dad is a mean abusive drunk pharmacist, mom is addicted to pills and has incestuous desire for her son, the son is skipping school to fish and daughter is mentally handicapped.
Acting
Bulle Ogier's mother is skin-crawlingly committed.
Direction
Beauvois directs himself through hell, unflinchingly.
Director
Xavier Beauvois
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Beauvois was only 25 when he wrote, directed, and starred in this, essentially weaponizing his own youth against comfort.
Part of a 90s French wave ('La Vie de Jésus', 'Humanité') where the rural north became synonymous with spiritual bankruptcy—think Bresson's cruelty without his redemption.
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