This fast paced French production, tells the disquieting story of a family who sells their dreary cellar to a stranger, bringing unique challenges to individual members. This is one of those entertainments that can throw you off balance, as you follow the wide range of challenging influences - that one person can inflict on a diverse group of people, in a divided society. It offers many thought provoking themes to decipher - including the unjustified annihilation and removal of races from their homelands - to those questioning the Holocaust, and the repulsiveness of anti-Semitism. Also under the microscope is an examination of how easy it can be for youth, to fail to fully understand various crimes against humanity, committed before they were born.
Like the very different Walter Mosley book this adaptation is based on, it's not always fully clear what point of view writer/director Philippe Le Guay is focusing on - forcing the audience to make their own choices or see things from several perspectives. This ambiguous approach won't please all viewers. There's also much to consider about the degree of control, we as humans, are required to exercise when faced with a range of rapidly escalating situations - challenging our everyday lives. Eerie old locations, good production values, and strong performances bring this, at times, confronting thought provoker to vivid life.
