Summer Hours

France 2008, 103 minutes
Dir. Olivier Assayas
In French with English subtitles
Genres: Foreign Cinema, Drama

Feat. Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jeremie Renier, Edith Scob, Dominique Reymond, Alice de Lencquesaing

Aroview: Three siblings deliberate over the family estate following the death of their mother in this subtle, gorgeously rendered meditation on ‘moving on’.

Ensconced in beautiful, affluent surroundings, dir. Assayas achieves the feat of conveying universal truisms about grief, inheritance, and the family dynamic, despite the risk of alienating viewers with a somewhat sheltered, white-collar perspective. In another of the film’s strong points, French institution Juliette Binoche quietly blends into a fine ensemble cast, earnest but never strained in the drama that unfolds around what to do with their parent’s legacy. Like FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON, this also comes recommended for its radiant cinematography and collaboration with Musée d’Orsay, whose collection of artwork is virtually a supporting character in the film.

NZ International Film Festival 2009