The Son
by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Isabella Soupart, Kevin Leroy, Morgan Marinne, Nassim Hassa?ni, Olivier GourmetDirector: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Original Language), Unknown
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-05-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: New Yorker Video
Movie Reviews of The Son
Movie Review: The new kid
Summary: 5 Stars
Schlumpy Olivier (Olivier Gourmet) is a carpenter who works for a school, where he apprentices teen boys who have recently been released from juvenile detention. He's a bit of a taskmaster and perhaps a bit harsh with the boys. When he's asked to take on a new boy (Francis, played Morgan Marinne), he flatly refuses. However, he is soon following the boy around and seems to know him somehow. Who is this boy and what is the connection to Olivier? The answer is slowly revealed through a serious of revelations. Along the way, we get to know Olivier and his habits; he's meticulous and clearly overly controlled, which could lead to some problems.
"The Son" is a superb but slowly paced film. Belgian directors and brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne ("L'Enfant") rely on handheld digital cameras, which really works for this small story. At times, it feels as though we're breathing down the characters' necks. Although this character-driven drama could hardly be considered a "thriller," it manages to really ratchet up the tension. Specifically, Olivier is so internal and tightly wound that the audience has no idea how he will resolve his issues with this new boy. The ending of the film is breath-taking, although the final denouement is perhaps not as cathartic as some might like. The pace and lack of obvious resolution may turn off some viewers (as reflected by some of the reviews here), but I was mesmerized. This ambiguous gem is a real winner.
Summary of The Son
The brothers Dardenne craft lean, unfancy movies, full of ordinary people, with no special effects--but the emotional impact of their movies (which include the superb La Promesse and Rosetta) is devastating. In The Son, a carpentry teacher named Olivier (Olivier Gourmet) accepts a new student into his class after having first rejected him; it is soon revealed that this new boy, Francis, is responsible for the death of Olivier's son. But Olivier takes Francis under his wing--is Olivier planning on taking revenge? Is this a phenomenal act of compassion? Is he simply tormenting himself? The movie watches Olivier engage in his daily tasks without comment, yet every scene is almost unnervingly dense with emotion (it's no wonder that Gourmet won the Best Actor award at Cannes for this performance). The Son builds complex and potent feelings from utterly mundane moments. It's simply an astonishing feat of moviemaking. --Bret FetzerArt House & International DVD Video
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