Quand vient l'automne

I just watched this movie in Paris, and I was blown away how good is the story and how well written it is. I read that the movie won a couple of awards in San Sebastián festival and I was very curious. The film is a drama with a very dark side but at the same time with plenty of sense of humor all over. The cast is magnificent: all of them play so incredible real. Helene Vincent et Josiane Balasko deserve all the awards without forgetting Pierre Lottin, he's just amazing as the felonious son of hers. Without telling too much, the story depicts a kind of characters very rare to find in any movie. I loved how the movie surprises you with some very unexpected turns. I watched most of the films of Francois Ozon, and this one is probably one of his best works. A must watch!

"Michelle" (Hélène Vincent) lives a solitary life in her rural home where she is eagerly anticipating the imminent arrival of her daughter "Valérie" (Ludvine Sagnier) and the apple of her eye, grandson "Lucas" (Garlan Erlos who morphs, uncannily, into the older Paul Beaurepaire). In preparation for this visit, she goes with best friend "Marie-Claude" (Josiane Balasko) to pick mushrooms. This latter lady has problems of her own, with her son "Vincent" (Pierre Lottin) currently incarcerated for a crime we know little about. Anyway, when the family arrive it becomes clear that the mother/daughter relationship isn't that great - a situation borne from how "Michelle" made her living and of her daughter's impending divorce and that only worsens when a dodgy mushroom leaves one in hospital and "Michelle" essentially barred from seeing "Lucas". Meanwhile, "Vincent" gets out of jail so "Michelle" kindly gives him a job managing her extensive garden and that's when he overhears a conversation between the two women that demonstrates the level of frustrating despair felt by the now estranged grandmother. He decides to see if he can help, with tragic results that end up - well is it a whodunnit or is not? Is it an intricate web of considered scheming or just an accident and some coincidences? It's that element of uncertainty, coupled with strong performances from just about everyone than makes this story worth watching. There are questions asked that aren't directly answered, we are encouraged to conclude or assume but given some quite conflicting clues to keep us interested and by the conclusion of the film there's even the vaguest hint of a winking bromance! The photography and the audio mixing are gently effective and the film, though at times a little repetitive, delivers us a poignant look at loneliness, stigma, loyalty and love.

Most Ozon's films have something theatrical about them; not all of them though and it's not easy to pinpoint what exactly it is that makes them feel this way. However, what is clear, that something makes them charming, character-oriented, very pronounced and beautifully down-to-earth.

The plot is quite simple at the beginning but it twists itself further on and as the whole story unfolds, it becomes more intriguing thus diversifying the genre into more of a thriller or even a detective story. For almost two hours, we are observing lower middle class family members dealing with (or not) with their past (impossible to change) and present problems (Ozon focuses on those this time, and he is being hopeful in a very sweet way). The autumn in the film is a bit sad yet colorful and very beautiful, which is an obvious allegory to a human life. We become more aware of the mistakes of the past, but at the same time we have some more life to live, and we have those significant others that we love and live for. Autumn is the right time to re-establish the values, to accept and to forgive.

An ordinary film.

There's no wow factor in this movie at all. It's plain and simple, nothing more nothing less. It's straightforward in the way it tells a story and the story itself is nothing deep nor unique. The acting isn't too bad and does make the film a bit more engaging. The main aspect of the movie that carried it entirely is the cinematography, the scenes are beautifully rendered and balanced to create this almost welcoming, engulfing atmosphere. Every scene is a pleasure to the eye and focuses on every little detail to make it as realistic and genuine as possible. Overall a decent film, nothing special.

Well, François Ozon has done it again: a true masterpiece. A beautiful film about deep human feelings and insights. Only Frantz was perhaps a bit better of all the works of Ozon, of wnom I have seen a lot of movies.

This is the second best movie I have seen so far in 2024, at the cinema, the only place where one can appreciate a movie, just behind 'Le Royaume'. After 'Quand vient l'automne' is 'Goodbye Julia' on number 3, followed by 'Winter Break / The Holdovers', 'C'è ancora domani', 'Past Lives', 'Lee', 'Io Capitano' and 'Radical'.

The story telling of 'Quand vient l'automne' is mesmerizing and so well written. The use of automn colours brings so much power and strength to the movie A must watch!