Avant l'hiver

Until the final 20 minutes I was watching this drawn by the two main characters. Kristen Scott Thomas and Daniel Auteuil are (as always) superb and their performances rather than the catalyst character, well played by, Leila Bekhti are what keep you engrossed. Scott Thomas and Auteuil are so subtle in their performance that you do feel the emotion, as your own, that which simmers and then manages to just about bubble in both their emotionally closeted worlds. These performances give the revelations revealed or hinted at in the final 20 minutes a lot more power and make what would have been another decent, and very watchable, film about a mature older man becoming obsessed by a young woman and his and his wives helplessness in doing anything about it after too many years wrapped in wealth and family comforts a rather very good film and one that leaves you thinking about consequences and the fallibility of love.

Before the Winter Chill, a domestic drama from three-time writer / director Philippe Claudel (I've Loved You So Long), is immediately watchable for its leads, casting Daniel Auteuil and Kristin Scott Thomas as husband and wife in a story woven around their relationships with each other and those around them. The tale is reasonably diverting, and there is enough going on to keep the viewer engaged for the running time, but the material does not aim much higher than movie-of-the-week melodrama. This it does very well certainly, and Leïla Bekhti gives an affecting performance, but it's unlikely that you'll be raving about Avant l'hiver (the film's original title) to your friends and family. Enjoy 'Before the Winter Chill' for the central performances of Auteuil and Scott Thomas, then check out Guillaume Canet's 'Little White Lies' for some real Gallic fireworks.

Philippe Claudel's film 'Before the Winter Chill' begins as if it's going to be a drama about a stalker. It then changes tack, and becomes more of a story about a middle aged man becoming involved with a younger woman. He's not exactly looking for an affair, but his interest in her clearly stems from unhappiness in his marriage, which obviously does not benefit from his behaviour. Yet his "care" for the girl is superficial; his real interest is in the effect she is having on him, and he misses things he might have observed. Yet just as this plotline plays out to its conclusion, the movie reveals a final twist. The problem is that all three stories seem weak and underdeveloped; the strength of feelings on display never quite sufficient to wholly motivate the plot. It's not implausible; but its more a film about the absence of feelings, than the presence of them.

I saw this film at the Leiden film festival 2013 (LIFF). This could have been the umpteenth story about a middle aged man courting a younger woman, thereby endangering not only his marriage but also risking the health of his patients while slacking off his daily job as a surgeon. But luckily it is much more, due to some complications interwoven in the script that make it interesting nevertheless.

The daily package of red roses that are delivered throughout the running time of the film, seems important and thus are we eager all the time to know who is behind it. In the end we still wonder who is sending the roses, however, but it does not really matter in hindsight as many other sub-plots take over and keep us interested.

A possible minus point is the shallow role of the surgeon's wife. She has typically not enough on her hands other than waiting for her husband to come home. Her garden is her only daily occupation that keeps her from complete boredom, so it seems. I had assumed more initiative from her side, as she is obviously not the unlearned and meek kind of woman.

All in all, I can only moderately recommend this film. It is not a total failure, however, due to several sub-plots that keeps us interested. But that is all there is. This film ranked a moderate 26th place (out of 55) for the audience award.

Altman's The Player had a similar idea: the hero receives messages from a man he believes has a grudge against him, then starts to investigate... The doctor in this film receives flowers every day, and comes to believe that they come from a woman who, he thinks, harbors some grievance. Soon he starts to slump in surgery, his supervisor orders him to take time off, and he finds he has no appetite for anything. I admired Daniel Auteuil's performance very much; he has put on some weight and his eyes have that distant look that means he can't focus on the essential things. His wife, his son and daughter-in-law have needs and he is oblivious to all of it.

Kristin Scott Thomas gives one of her finest performances; she is both suspicious that Paul is cheating and sure that he isn't (not really a paradox). Her eyes are wonderfully expressive. Leila Bekhti didn't really fit in with the story: I didn't get a feeling of menace from her. Richard Berry as the man who never tires of carrying a torch is excellent.