Férias Mortais

First off, the mother role is written clearly by a misogynistic male who has written her to be an annoying nag with about an IQ of 50. Her bumbling idiot role is pretty much the whole reason why bad things continually happen to the family. I won't give anything away other than to say that in the 21st century with all our cellular and social media technology, none of this could happen in reality. Terrible. Bumbling idiot parents and far-fetched Central Casting villains. Very dated even though it's filmed in 2006. Had they made this movie take place in the 1970s or 1980s it would have been far more realistic. The actors are good but they've been given terrible material to work with

First of all, I think that the director never set foot in France before shooting this film because he accumulates stupid clichés. I burst out laughing when the couple's daughter looks at the postcards for sale at the campsite and there is one representing Queen Marie-Antoinette! What a joke! And then of course, there is a 2 CV (a very rare car in France contrary to the old cliché dating from the 60s) in a gas station whose manager speaks with a false southern accent, a "French" surfer who speaks with a Quebec accent (lol)... The rest is just as grotesque. The characters act without any logic and are all perfectly stupid. This film would be a real masterpiece if all this were done on purpose to turn it into a comedy entitled: « Morons unleashed in south of France can't use their cell phones to call the cops ». Unfortunately, it's not.

If for no other reason I would watch this to see Daniel Ryan. Here he plays an English Father, Simo. Whose two children aged 16 and 12 drowned while at the families second home in France. He told his wife Linda (Fay Ripley) it was an accident but there were no witnesses so anything could have happened. Another couple, Neil and Lizzie on holiday with their own kids , are "poles apart" in everything from the first couple who continually turn up exactly where Lizzie and Neil stay for the night, on route to Lindas' sister home and THEY ask themselves "are we being stalked"? If so "why"? As a drama it's OK, even if Neil and Lizzie are bickering throughout while trying to save their marriage. The other two creeps more than make up for it.

Dumbest, ham-acted nonsense that had me gripped, if only to see what ludicrous turn would happen next. Other negative reviews have covered the ludicrous elements of this 'movie' so I won't gold the lily. Absolutely embarrassing effort. Should've known better when 'Faye Ripley' is announced as the lead star, and she turns up with her shuffling norther housewife act. Ridiculous.

Bon Voyage is a very well made two part drama. It starts off at a fairly slow pace, but transforms into something much darker, the threat that is posed turning out to be much more menacing than first anticipated.

As it progresses, things begin to make sense, you kind of put the pieces together as you go along. There are times when you truly need to suspend all sense of reality, as a few things happen, which in all reality would never happen in a million years. A few things could have been expanded on, and perhaps explained a little better, but on the whole the story is very engaging, loaded with tension, and a few good scares.

It's well produced, and very well acted, Daniel Ryan is the standout performer here though, he's great value, as is Faye Ripley, who's very good also.

Don't expect reality, and you could really enjoy this gripping two parter, take it too seriously and you'll pick holes the whole way through it.

Overall, I enjoyed it, 8/10