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Le Fils

Original title: Le fils
  • 2002
  • Tous publics
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
10K
YOUR RATING
Le Fils (2002)
Coming-of-AgeDramaMystery

A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.

  • Directors
    • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
    • Luc Dardenne
  • Writers
    • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
    • Luc Dardenne
  • Stars
    • Olivier Gourmet
    • Morgan Marinne
    • Isabella Soupart
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    10K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
      • Luc Dardenne
    • Writers
      • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
      • Luc Dardenne
    • Stars
      • Olivier Gourmet
      • Morgan Marinne
      • Isabella Soupart
    • 79User reviews
    • 79Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 11 wins & 12 nominations total

    Photos10

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    Top cast21

    Edit
    Olivier Gourmet
    Olivier Gourmet
    • Olivier
    Morgan Marinne
    • Francis
    Isabella Soupart
    • Magali
    Nassim Hassaïni
    • Omar
    Kevin Leroy
    • Raoul
    Félicien Pitsaer
    • Steve
    Rémy Renaud
    • Philippo
    • (as Remy Renaud)
    Annette Closset
    • La Directrice du Centre
    Fabian Marnette
    • Rino
    Pierre Nisse
    Pierre Nisse
    • Apprenti Soudeur 1
    Stephan Barbason
    • Apprenti Soudeur 2
    David Manna
    • Apprenti Soudeur 3
    Abdellah Amarjouf
    • Apprenti Soudeur 4
    Jimmy Deloof
    • Dany
    Anne Gerard
    • La Mère de Dany
    • (as Gérard Anne)
    Dimitri Legros
    • Le Client du Café
    Leon Michaux
    • L'Éducateur
    Colette Hobsig
    • La Cuisinière
    • Directors
      • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
      • Luc Dardenne
    • Writers
      • Jean-Pierre Dardenne
      • Luc Dardenne
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews79

    7.510.3K
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    Featured reviews

    10pzm

    The Good Carpenter of Liege

    The rapt watchfulness of this film is almost intolerable.

    The minutiae of the woodwork instructor protagonist's drab and solitary daily existence merely repel us at first: his opaque, inexpressive, sulky-looking face (on the rare occasions that we see it, as opposed to the back of his neck) seems to confirm that there is nothing here for us, nothing but the muffled dullness of a dead-end existence, nothing but the droning of power tools in the sullen workshop and the heating-up of tinned soup in the bare little apartment.

    Then the film's remorseless attention to the mundane starts to hint at some turmoil of this man's inner life, which is being kept rigorously in check by everyday rituals: the conscientious painful sit-ups, the critical measurement of the trainees' clumsy work. Something unbearable is being borne. Some terrible price is being paid. Olivier is like some powerful caged mammal, ever darting just ahead the camera's reach. We fear for the boys in his domininion -- especially for the new trainee, whom he stalks with a feral intensity.

    And now we learn the awful sadness of what ails Olivier, and what has brought everything to a head. Now the camera watches his every move with mixed dread and wonder. Now every little thing he does matters, as we struggle to gauge what he will do next. Now the details of just what nail to use, of the trick to carrying a heavy wooden lintel (so like a cross), become utterly compelling -- not as displacement activities, but as things that can be relied upon, as tangible truths.

    And finally, on long drive to a timber yard one late-autumn weekend, we watch a miracle unfold: halting, clumsy, almost wordless, although there is a sort of confession, and a sort of catechism. Wet leaves still stick to the boy's back from a momentary struggle in a wood as the newly-cut planks are stacked, silently, in the trailer. Master and apprentice are joined by the mystery of their craft. A father without a son has found a son without a father.

    And now, at last, we understand that the film's watchfulness has been Olivier's own: his need to observe, to assess, to measure up (something for which he has a peculiar knack), in order to decide how the right thing is to be done. For only then is it done decisively, deftly and truly.

    That a film of such simplicity, unflinching honesty and moral intensity can be made today is itself little short of miraculous. In both its symbolic language and its belief in the possibility of grace, it is firmly rooted in a particular north-European pietistic (and specifically Catholic) tradition. But never mind about that. This is a genuine and beautifully modest masterpiece of humane realism.
    9WilliamCKH

    A movie about forgiveness

    The Son is a movie about forgiveness, and how the very act of forgiving propels you forward as a human being. And to not only forgive the person who took away your son, but to become a guardian, a teacher to that person is an act of grace. Olivier exhibits this grace throughout the movie, but it is a grace that is not evident by just watching him on a day to day basis. You have have to follow him, listen to him, be with him constantly and understand his circumstances to realize this. I suppose, in a way, that many people possess this grace, but its hard to find it in them if you can't follow them around with a camera. Olivier, on the surface, would not seem like a very interesting person if you saw him on the street, or worked with him on a daily basis, and the boy seems like a dolt, but this movie makes them so interesting, so compassionate, not as characters, but as real people. It teaches you to look beneath the surface of things, of human beings, and if you look hard enough, you'll find beauty everywhere.
    7r-Kelleg

    Dardenne brothers' purest movie

    I saw "le fils" last Saturday during a sneak preview with the directors and actors. All I can say is that this movie moved me. One can say that the shoulder's cam make him/her sick (this was my case). One can say that this movie is boring and that nothing happens (that is also my case). One can say that half of the screen is wasted by the Olivier Gourmet's face close-up. But, at the end of the movie, you can feel the power of the movie. You are moved by this movie because Olivier and the Dardenne expressed the purest emotions.
    7paul2001sw-1

    Intelligent, humane but hard to watch

    How do you make a film to capture the mindset of a stalker; or of an uncertain individual, sizing up an unknown enemy? The Dardenne brothers' solution in this movie is to shoot almost the entire film over the shoulder of its principal protagonist, giving the audience the same view, the same sideways glances and stolen observations, as the character. It's effective, but it doesn't make this the easiest movie to watch: at times it feels that everything you want to see is deliberately left out of shot. A film about a pair of fairly non-communicative people, it also contains almost no expository dialogue, so we are left to guess what each of them are feeling from their actions: in fact, as well as being terse or even silent, the characters are arguably people who don't really know what to feel any more. The film is thus an effective look at the bleakness of life in extreme circumstances, but again, this doesn't make it easy to relate to. The unusual method does bring some dividends: at first, it one thinks this will be a movie about a pervert, a mistake that owes everything to clichéd thinking and nothing to surprising honesty the directors and cast bring to this movie. In a sense, it's a film about the possibility of revenge, but with a more awkward, truthful and ultimately humane take on this notion than any you are likely to find in Hollywood. It's an interesting film, therefore, and deserving of praise; but not particularly fun to see.
    mfeeney068

    A film that speaks of forgiveness without many words...

    This is a MUST SEE film for any working actor.

    As an actor, I often study films as I watch them, and I'm proud that as I was watching this movie I picked things out that were later mentioned in the commentaries as being done on purpose. For instance, one immediately notes the unique camera angles (at first it "followed" the main actor from behind, so you only saw his back... yet I was amazed at how much emotion and character was conveyed by his body language)... as the film progressed, I noted how few lines of dialog there were - and how utterly real the acting was. The hand-held camera led to a feeling of voyeurism, like we were actually there watching the watcher... the tension in the movie was palatable and kept me holding my breath... I was slightly disappointed in the very abrupt ending (it was so sudden I actually thought my DVD skipped a chapter)...

    In watching the directors & actor's commentary I learned that the film was written FOR this particular actor (what an honor!) because he had had worked with the directors before.... the actor said he believed the body is the actor's instrument and his dream was to someday do a stage show where his back was to the audience the entire time! They also discussed their unique rehearsal process and such - really interesting to hear.... and after seeing this movie, I have now developed my own philosophy of acting: A beginning actor is at Stage 1 where you worry about remembering your lines.... A better actor is in stage 2 and they focus on delivery and HOW their lines are said and the emotions that go with it.... but the best actor is at stage 3 where the real acting is done BETWEEN the spoken lines and without any dialog at all.... that's what I felt this movie really reinforced - the tremendous acting ability done by a glance and body language.... it is in French with subtitles, but it really was a "thinker" of a movie... not something I would recommend to everyone, but a "must see" for any actor.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Partly inspired by the Jamie Bulger murder, a case that shocked England in 1993 when a 2-year-old toddler was murdered by two 10-year-old boys.
    • Quotes

      Olivier: The boy that you killed was my son.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best Films of 2003 (2004)

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    FAQ16

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 23, 2002 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • Belgium
      • France
    • Official site
      • Diaphana (France)
    • Language
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The Son
    • Filming locations
      • Liège, Wallonia, Belgium
    • Production companies
      • Archipel 35
      • Les Films du Fleuve
      • Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $70,262
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,048
      • Jan 12, 2003
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,057,439
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 43 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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