La boule noire

This is a very good movie that touches on a myriad of social issues that have probably impacted our lives at one time or another.

The two main elements of the story line pertain to the lead character. He has an almost desperate desire to be accepted into an exclusive club of prominent business members. You can sense a bit of a chip on his shoulder in regards to the status symbol this club membership means to him. The second element revolves around his estranged relationship with his mother. She is an alcoholic who lives alone, and she only sees her son occasionally on holidays. He lives about two hours away with his wife and children. This seems to be by design as to his fear of what the "prominent" members of his "circle" may think of him.

The main character has everything going for him. He has a successful career, a loving family, a nice home in an affluent neighborhood, a good school for the children. The only thing he doesn't have is happiness.

There are good performances from everyone especially the lead character and mother. This really is a very good movie. On an ending note I much more prefer subtitles than voice over as is the case here. I find that most English voice over attempts fail miserably.