Ma saison préférée

The images from this movie lingered in my mind for a long time. Both Deneuve and Auteuil deliver magnificent performances for those who prefer their films subtle and their acting nuanced. Those with 5-second attention spans shouldn't bother.

Interesting but somewhat cryptic family-dynamics saga presented with characteristic French warmth and some charm. Daniel Auteuil plays a brain surgeon in love with his big sister (Catherine Deneuve). Apparently he has been pining away for her for decades since they are now middle-aged. She's no longer interested in sex, and he apparently never was, since he never married and lived alone. Meanwhile mom, who loved him best, can't live alone anymore because of fainting spells, and so goes to live with Deneuve and her family. But that doesn't work out and Auteuil won't or can't take her in, and so they send her to a nursing home, which she hates. All this occasions brother and sister to spend some time together. They recall with fondness their childhood; and when she breaks up with her husband, little brother rents a nice apartment for himself and her, all the better to live happily ever after.

Well, what a tease. That really doesn't happen. After a bit Deneuve gets seduced by a very aggressive and anonymous intern which reawakens her sexuality and makes her realize she can't live with her brother. And so she leaves him. He breaks into her house in an attempt to get her back....

I think Director André Téchiné did a good job with what he attempted, but could have attempted more. The cast is good, especially Marthe Villalonga as the mother and Deneuve, who has aged well. It's amusing to see that the cool and stately actress is still being sexually abused by the French directors for the audience. I wonder what they would have done if, instead of Hitchcock, et. al., THEY could have gotten their hands on Deneuve's cinematic American soul sister, Grace Kelly. It would have been interesting to see Grace Kelly in, say, Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid (1969) with Jean-Paul Belmondo instead of Deneuve. Or, how about Grace Kelly as "Belle de Jour"?

But I digress.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

Once again I was watching a Téchiné film and found myself gaping with amazement at how terribly well the dialogues are written, and how incredibly well it is all acted (by Catherine Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil, which, I suppose, doesn't need any further explanation, but the others are also all excellent in their roles). Every single sentence is like a strike of the hammer on the consciousness of anyone who has experienced dysfunctional family life - and I think I'm not the only one.

What is more, after I went to bed, the thoughts just kept coming, unfolding from one another, leading to interrelations between the people, the situations, the conversations and also to conclusions, some of which might not even have been intended, but still fit perfectly into the mosaic of the film, because the director had a perfect vision and created a world that functions on its own.

It is a very atmospheric movie. It is artistic, but not in the abstract way - it's as down to earth as possible, as grounded in reality as it can be - and anyone who has been part of such a family will realise this instantly. It does suggest things, but then it also claims them, but in a language that puts into words the unsayable. Things get said out loud; still, it never sounds didactic or threadbare. It just portrays what IS; it never judges - as it is showing exactly how impossible it is to judge any human behaviour, when there are so many unseen forces in play behind it. And the real mystery is how on earth the film avoids being depressing... But it's Téchiné's secret, and I'm glad he has it.

I have never seen the complexity of human feelings and family relationships told so realistically, yet so sublimely before. If you only like action-packed blockbuster movies, this is definitely not for you. Otherwise, I can only recommend it, and it's a perfectly round 10.

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.

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.