Boobirt
Stylish but barely mediocre overall
MamaGravity
good back-story, and good acting
Hayleigh Joseph
This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.
Nicole
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
rabbitmoon
I find it hard to categorize and settle my thoughts on this film. It appears as a serious gritty kitchen-sink style drama, but Legrand keeps his story, ideas and characters very simple, and it eventually comes across as a slightly lame domestic version of an exploitation film. Its a story that could be told far more efficiently as a 30 minute short, without losing any meaning or impact (unless your thing is build-up for the sake of an ending, which the film delivers a lot of). It was mildly interesting to watch, although not particularly rewarding or stimulating. It just sort of plods along (with great acting mind). It unravels slightly and becomes slightly annoying. Then the last seven minutes or so become tense and gripping, then its all over and the credits roll. I'm just not sure what there really is to take from it - any specific angle (forewarning patterns of a person's intent/trajectory? Horror/suspense film? Character study? Psychology of co-dependency?) could have been delivered MUCH more substantially, effectively and in a way that leaves a much deeper imprint. It all feels a bit too short and tepid to really be worthy of a feature.
Genadijus-L
Riveting directing by debuting Xavier Legrand and stellar acting by both actors playing parents (Léa Drucker and Denis Ménochet), and most importantly by the young actor Thomas Gloria. It's been a while since a decent movie by brothers Dardennes, here you'll their style and even more. Real and touching in every scene until the final credits.
Precise use of close ups translating the real emotional power of the characters and accurately composed scenes provide a great experience of social drama on screen.
otacon38
I'm french and this movie have quite a reputation in france. And usually i'm a bit disapointed when i heard people were shocked by a movie when i see it. I'm used to watch korean noir movies or serious subject movies. But here... i was so unconforable watching this, because it is completly realistic. Not that it could happen, but that it is happening somewhere. The actor are marvelous, the tension is great, just watch it, but not alone, don't look what it is about before, just enjoy the pain that you will get watching it :)
MartinHafer
The French writer/director Xavier Legrand was nominated for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short for 2014 with his film "Just Before Losing Everything". This film was about a mother and her children who are fleeing a violent and abusive husband
and it sure packed an emotional wallop. Amazingly, Legrand is back with the same family
and a full-length follow up to the previous film
and it's even better! A reason to watch this is because the most intense, heart- wrenching and well directed 15 minutes make up the final portion of the film
and I could hear folks crying, gasping and calling out as well!!The film begins with a custody hearing. The judge is listening to the evidence and it's difficult to really know what's going on with the family. Is the father an abusive monster who doesn't deserve to have custody of his 11 year-old son? Or, is the child right when he says he never wishes to have contact with the man again
and he's afraid of the man? Regardless, the judge decides to award joint custody to the father and mother. Inexplicably, the visits with the possibly violent father are unsupervised
and the audience has no idea what's going to happen next. Needless to say
really bad things are going to happen and soon!The first half of this movie is good
but not amazing. It's all important as set up for the final portion and I cannot say enough about how well all this comes together at the end. Not a film for the faint of heart, but a blood-pumping, Adrenalin-inducing masterful film that could easily be a strong candidate for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. If it's not at least nominated, I'd be very surprised.