Two brothers and a sister witness the disappearance of their childhood memories when they must relinquish the family belongings to ensure their deceased mother's succession.
Special Agent Matti
Summer hours (L'heure d'été) is a small-scale look at the descending gentry of France. I'm not talking about stairs here, I'm talking about people who used to own land and big houses and art and be a bit cultured but who are now just middle class. It's also about the changing values of the different generations. In the olden days, children aspired to be like their parents (or, at least, they didn't see any way out of becoming their parents). In the modern days, children aspire to be as little like their parents as they can. They don't want the same jobs, they don't want the same house, they don't want the same lifestyle (the money is nice, but). This behaviours is natural because 100 years ago, horses were a major form of transport in the developed world; now we have tourists trips into space. The attitudes of the young have to change if only because they are growing up on another planet.
That doesn't make it any easier on the parents but they're old and have to move aside for the new generation.
This is one of those subtle French films in which it appears that nothing happens but which is actually about making the audience use their minds; you can't just sit back and enjoy the ride as you can with a Hollywood blockbuster. Everything is understated, apart from the depth of characterisation, and you never get treated like the lowest common denominator. Make sure your brain is engaged before viewing this film.
The drama, France movie Summer hours (L'heure d'été) is directed by Olivier Assayas and stars Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jérémie Renier.
M (Drug references)
99 minutes (1:39 hours)
Film: 2 April 2009 - Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Film: 9 April 2009 - Adelaide, Perth
DVD rental: 19 August 2009
