Ma saison préférée

Did I see the same movie as the person who said not to bother? If American movies leave you yearning for more emotionally rich stories, rent this. It hinges on a very simple story that most people will relate to - the gradual decline of an aging parent. The son and daughter who come together to deal with their ailing mother are the characters that drive the plot. They were very close in childhood, but are estranged at the beginning of the movie. The need to deal with their mother's situation provokes some painful delving into their bond. Their characters are complex and fascinating. Deneuve and Auteuil were perfect actors for the sister and brother parts -- Deneuve for her ice-queen qualities and Auteuil for his gift for playing neurotic yet passionate losers -- yet both their performances transcend those descriptions. The character of the mother is terrific as well.

There is a subplot involving a woman named Radish that is a little puzzling, and some details that are purposefully vague (china clock? hospital pervert?) But they don't detract from the movie - the ambiguities enhance it.

I absolutely LOVED this movie! It is my all-time favorite Deneuve film. Great casting, great direction, and great writing. For anyone dealing with an aging parent or dysfunctional family, this is a movie for you! Deneuve is at her most vulnerable. Daniel Auteuil is fabulous as her dysfunctional, sister-idolizing brother, and the rest of the cast - including Deneuve's real-life daughter Chiara Mastrioanni, give truly wonderful performances. The chemistry with this cast is amazing, particularly the relationship between Deneuve and Auteuil. Andre Techine directs, what I feel is his most beautiful, sensitive, and character-driven movie to date. If you're a fan of foreign films, I strongly recommend "Ma Saison Preferee".

I first saw this film in my mid 20's and realized in hindsight that is was probably the first "adult" film I'd ever seen. These were adults coping with the realities of life, kids, marriage, relationships, an aging mother, death, etc. and not living life in an artificial, adolescent way.

The script is fascinating in that it contains so many wonderful, adult scenes. Some which come to mind immediately are:

When the mother is talking to herself by the swimming pool, Deneuve comes in saying "why didn't you turn on the light maman?", "Are you afraid I might break something" the mother says "No, it's just that you don't know the house and you may hurt yourself", Deneuve answers. The dialogue is so strong in that you get a point of view from all characters, yet other characters see things in a totally different way and they are all valid.

The conversation between Bruno and Emilie after his fight with Antoine about how she thinks Bruno's aged badly. How he sees their relationship and gone badly and in contrast how she sees it.

the conversations between Antoine and Emilie about putting their mother in a nursing home, how she always has to find the solutions to things and when she tries, he criticizes and she breaks down crying.

the point made by their mother at the nursing home regarding her children and modernity. How the children have grown up modern as they had wished but this curse of modernity has led them to put their aging mother into this home.

The way the mother talks so frankly about the grandchildren,"she taps on that damn piano all day, and the boy, a real half-wit."

the close bond between her and Antoine "you don't have to fake sleeping maman, it's only me"

I also love the piece of dialogue, after the mother's funeral, where Emilie has been separated from the family and you feel it's time she goes back home and instead of announcing anything, apologizing or trying to get back to the family's good graces, she turns to her husband Bruno as a matter of factly and says "Do we have enough eggs at home?"

Brilliant writing, brilliant dialogue, superb acting. I highly recommend this truly adult movie. Wish they'd make more like this.

Techine has made a beautiful film about lost childhood,the passing time and old age.Ma Saison preferee succeeds as it evokes situations which each one of us have experienced in our lives.It is primarily a film about the complex relationship a mother has with her children. Berthe does not want her children to worry about her as she is aware of the fact that no one cares about her.Her illness facilitates a true meeting between all family members.Berthe is resolute enough to realize that she has to get ahead in life on her own terms as no one is bothered about her welfare.Ma Saison preferee is a slice of life as witnessed in present day France.The film is divided into episodes each dealing with events related to the family.The film is about difficult life old people are forced to lead when their children start ignoring them.Ma Saison preferee is as simple and straightforward as flowing water.This has been Techine's most remarkable film about family life after Souvenirs d'en France.

This is a film that centers around dysfunctional family life, however, it is not about incest as one viewer suggested.

Catherine Deneuve plays Emilie, an emotionally detached middle-aged woman who feels like she losing her grip. She's a lawyer, as is her husband, Bruno, but there is no love left in their marriage and her two nearly grown up children are estranged from her.

A crisis sets off a chain of events in her life. Her mother, Berthe, is having fainting spells and the doctors feels she shouldn't be alone at her country home, so Emilie invites her to stay with her family. No one is happy with the arrangement. Bruno resents her presence, and both he and his daughter think everyone in Emilie's family is crazy.

Emilie's brother, Antoine, a fussy little brain surgeon played by Daniel Auteuil, is invited by Emilie for Christmas Eve dinner. He doesn't get along with her family and soon an argument breaks out when Berthe tries to get her children to sit still while she discusses her will. Antoine leaves with his mother, to take her back to her home, and Emilie leaves after a bitter argument with Bruno.

The film follows the developing relationship among this circle of people. Everyone is wrapped up with their own lives and extremely possessive. No one really knows how to reach out to another human being.

We learn that Berthe and her husband were simple country folk - she never learned how to read - who only wanted what was best for their children. Berthe tells them their father only wanted them to be "modern." But modernity has its price.

Both the children are too busy with their own lives to take her in when she suffers another fainting spell, so she is placed in a rest home and begins to deteriorate. Antoine doesn't recognize that she's suffered a brain lesion because of a stroke - this is supposed to be his specialty, but he can't see what's right in front of him. Emilie's law practice centers around personal estates, but she has a hard time connecting with her own mother.

After the funeral, the whole family gets together at Emilie's old home and sits outside for a meal. They begin to talk and show more friendliness towards each other than in the past - Bruno even invites Antoine to sleep the night over. The title from the film comes from the last snippet of conversation when everyone confesses what their favorite season of the year is.

This is a fine film that explores adult relationships. It's rather candid and not as histrionic as, say "Ordinary People." The acting is well-done - Catherine Deneuve continues to age extraordinarily well - and the scenery of rural Southwest France is stunningly pastoral.

Because of its drab subject matter, this one might not appeal to everyone, but it's a very good movie and I recommend it.