From its opening shot tracking two skiers gracefully winding their way down an alpine slope to its gentle, perfect ending, Marion Hansel's lovely gem of a film is a surprisingly affecting portrait of love, both romantic and filial.
The above-mentioned opening shot, breathtaking and disarming, is immediately interrupted by the sound of a crash, as we cut in close to discover that one of the figures has fallen. "It's broken for sure," Jack bluntly tells his companion. "Call for help." This simple opening sets in motion a very poignant and tender tale.
The young man, it turns out, has been working as a ski instructor in Flaine for the past couple of months. Although his injury occurs in France, he is actually from Belgium, where his separated parents Frans and Lisa still live.
Early in the morning, Lisa wakes up to the alarming telephone call informing her that her son is in the hospital. Though the injury does not appear to be too serious, she is naturally concerned, as any parent would be. She relays the news to her ex-husband, and the two decide to make the nine hour drive to Flaine to bring their son home.
The odd couple, at once so different yet at the same time magnificently complimentary, set off at 6:30am and have a journey full of nostalgia, regret and more than their fair share of minor catastrophes. We can see exactly why they were once in love and understand instantly that they very well may still be.
Finally they reunite with their son, meet his girlfriend Alison, enjoy a couple of meals together, and then pack his things into the car and head back to Brussels. It's as simple as that. No major plot twists, no big, emotional scenes and, best of all, no fanciful or unbelievable happy endings—just a series of everyday conversations between real people, highlighting both their attractive and less-than-savory qualities.
Full of wit and humor, the film is almost picaresque in nature, as little vignettes unfold to show new aspects of each relationship: ex- husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, mother and child, father and son. Hansel finds comedy and poignancy in equal measure in the sometimes awkward, sometimes touching situations in which her characters unexpectedly find themselves.
The cast members all breathe life and truth into their characters, especially the magnificent Marilyne Canto as Lisa and Olivier Gourmet as Frans. In a small cameo, Spanish actor Sergi Lopez also contributes a memorable performance as a hitch hiker.
In the end, it's true, perhaps little has changed in the lives of the characters, but as Bourvil croons the title tune over the closing credits, the lovely, quiet truths of the story resonate to confirm what a special film has just ended. And what a perfect title the author has chosen for her tale.
