GAEL MOREL

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BBB

France, 2007.  Gloria Films, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Backup Media, Canal+, Centre National de la Cinématographie, CinéCinéma, Coficup Fond, MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Région Rhône-Alpes, Sofica Poste Image.  Screenplay by Christophe Honore, Gael Morel.  Cinematography by Jean-Max Bernard.  Produced by Laurence Lavole, Isabelle Pragier.  Music by Louis Sclavis.  Production Design by Ze Branco.  Costume Design by Pierre Canitrot, Catherine Leterrier.  Film Editing by Catherine Schwartz.  

Catherine Deneuve is devastated when her university-student son is killed in a car accident. His best friend Franck was the driver in the incident and survived the crash, and Deneuve becomes immediately obsessed with him and his life to the point that she causes concern with his and her own family.

Franck’s employment, education and personal life become major causes for her as she does her best to stay close to the key element of her son’s life that makes her still feel close to him. This melodramatic indulgence in grief and loss pushes the limits of purple manipulation from time to time, but the acting is so terrific and its sorrow so genuinely pitiable that you cannot help but be moved by it.

Deneuve is in superb form, an actress whose talents do not waver in the slightest no matter what the material, and she is supported extremely well by Thomas Dumerchez as the object of her affection.