Our man at AFI, Peter Martin, just keeps the reviews rolling in. Here he is with a look at Canada's La Vie Avec Mon Pere.
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Sebastien Rose debuted with HOW MY MOTHER GAVE BIRTH TO ME DURING MENOPAUSE, which screened at AFI FEST 2003. An outrageously funny comedy about the claustrophobic relationship between a man and his mother, Rose's first film had plenty of sharp, cutting dialogue and insights about the dysfunctions of a modern family. It veered somewhat off course in the third act, but overall demonstrated a lot of potential for the writer/director.
So it seems only natural that his second film should be about a father and his sons. Francois (Raymond Bouchard) wrote a famous novel and has been living off it ever since. His sudden reappearance energizes one of his sons, Paul (Paul Ahmarani) a layabout would-writer, and irritates the other, Patrick (David La Haye), a super-efficient executive at a pharmaceutical company. Francois moves in to the broken-down family homestead temporarily with Paul and his girlfriend Sylvie (Helene Florent). They drink, laugh, and love, but Patrick's separation from his wife and the disclosure of Francois's life-threatening illness bring the three men together.
HOW MY MOTHER began with an outrageously funny scene, with the protagonist as a young boy acting macho in a
shower room filled with naked women, and LIFE WITH MY FATHER features another outrageous scene in which
Francois starts to masturbate when he comes across Sylvie in the shower - go ahead and groan as you please.
But LIFE WITH MY FATHER plays out for the balance of its running time as a dramatic examination of a father and his sons. It explores areas that are rarely seen in cinema - some might say with good reason, but which I won't reveal because, taken out of context, it's impossible to judge fairly (and no, it's nothing sexual, violent, or perverted). And here is where, as a reviewer, I have to admit to a personal bias, because I've experienced some of these things, and it was wrenching emotionally to watch.
Whether other viewers will respond as I did to this highly personal material, I have no idea. Though it's not entirely a downer - not that there's anything wrong with movies that depress you - it's also not an easy one to recommend. The performances are compelling, and the production values are good, for those inclined to give it a try.
The film's official website is here.
Review by Peter Martin.