Le Successeur

Le Successeur begins as a drama-filled film in which a fashion designer is told that his father has died. The film develops into a real drama, but due to a huge plot twist, this film suddenly becomes a combination of psychological thriller and even a touch of horror. There are clear references to typical American horror films in certain shots. The title of this film becomes more and more clear as the film progresses. It is precisely because of these unexpected twists and turns that this film brings something extra. Some decisions of the main character are not logic but overal a very good movie.

It is a very strange film.

I've gone into it blind (no synopsis, no trailer). The start of the film was promising: nice cinematography, superb music score, seemingly intriguing story. Unfortunately, after Ellias arrives at his estranged father's home it all goes south (it's almost like two different films from that point).

I can grasp and begin to understand the intentions of writers and of the main messages of the story, but it just... meh?

There is no tension in this film. The choice not to have any musical sound should have been accompanied with some sort of, I don't know, - colour, cinematographic choices, that would emphasize the tension. Throughout the film I just kept thinking "oh that just happened; oh, right, that happened as well; what is happening; why is it happening; can it all end now? No? Not yet? Not even now?"

As a woman, I could neither empathize with the main character nor pity him. The ending was just a bit sad about the father's friend, but OK for Ellias. I mean, he lost all his integrity as a human being, there was no other way to finish the film.

Perhaps, I am too biased, but I have seen better dramas, better thrillers, better psychological horror, better satirical films, better judgemental films, better home-made feeling films. In part, this one suffers from not knowing what genre it wants to be. That's what I believe.

I do not know why neither the screenplay writer nor the director did not realized that the main character was saying one thing but in the same scene was doing everything contrary to what he said he wanted to do...plus the time line make no sense...in 48 hours after the death of his father in a grocery store in canada, he is told by the French police, jump on a plane, to take care of things because his already has the autopsie report, the death certificate, a real estate agent and a charity agent are already at the house...to evaluate and clear the furnitures...no scenes flow into the next one ...on my the before last scenes is good.

For the most part of the first half, there is a lingering background music building a discomforting crescendo seemingly leading to some revelation, adding an air of mystery to an otherwise mundane screenplay (but for the opening scene). My guess is this was a deliberate decision. The latter half goes off in an unexpected direction. Soon enough, my hopes of the movie being a psycho-cerebral journey into Barnès' mind are shattered as the plot simplifies. It's still gripping and creates tension, so I enjoyed it. You sympathize with Barnès in his weak moments - balancing trying to do the right thing and saving his reputation, but ending up making mistakes.

A pleasant way of telling the important details of the life of an artist, who lives disconnected from natural flows and relationships with others. The cast is great, especially the main actor, through whose acting we feel everything that happens in that story. The cast is excellent, especially the main actor through whose acting we feel everything that happens in that story. In all of this, there are hints of horror and sudden reversals, and the main character himself is afraid of what real life is and that even money cannot camouflage it all. Psychological tension and music fully contribute to the strength of the combination of unexpected events and an unexpected ending.