Private Property

Released May 18, 2007

1h 32m

Drama

List

76%

33 Reviews

Tomatometer

65%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Pascale (Isabelle Huppert) leads a lonely life with her adult sons François (Yannick Renier) and Thierry (Jérémie Renier) at a rural estate subsidized by her ex-husband's alimony payments. When Pascale falls for neighbor Jan (Kris Cuppens), she makes plans to move in with him. But Pascale's twin sons -- loafers who treat her like a servant and refuse to accept the responsibilities of adulthood -- won't let her go. The family remains locked in a stalemate until someone makes a startling move.

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Critics Consensus

Private Property overcomes its slow pace with tight direction from Joachim Lafosse and an intriguing performance from Isabelle Huppert.

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Audience Member

What prevails is some sort of sentiment, related to the complexity of family relationships, but the narrative behind that sentiment is rather incomplete. The story does not allow us to fully understand the reasons for those sentiments or to predict what the future reserves for the characters. The acting is very convincing, but yet again so much in the characters is left underdeveloped. The end is abrupt and itself also obscure and vague. All in all, we experience fragments of a life of a family, without much possibility of assembling a coherent and consistent narrative. Of note, the first two thirds of the movies, surely are a more pleasant experience, than the remaining one third, which seems hasty.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sadly over-looked when it was released in the US, this comes close to being a perfect film. Always charismatic and intriguing, Huppert's minimalist performance is so convincing it is easy to get lost in the events as they transpire. Another highly effective key to this movie is director, Joachim Lafosse's clever way of framing the entire film as if we have snuck into this family's home. Putting the audience in a position of feeling somehow involved. This is a deceptively quiet film that packs an unexpected punch. This is essentially experimental filmmaking at it's best.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A divorced woman and her two twin (grown) sons live on their remote estate that's meant to be theirs as long as they see to the upkeep and live there, as it's owned by her ex-husband. When mom decides that she wants to sell the place (not sure how THAT works, since her ex OWNS it) and move on, her kids freak out and tensions build to a breaking point within the household. An interesting character study, but these characters are all so bizarrely motivated it's hard to really root for anyone. Rental?

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Stunningly painful film in its flatness and drama. Last moving shot is worth waiting for. Every moment (except the picking up of pieces towards the close) is exquisitely executed.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Filmed as if the camera is quite literally a fly on the wall, this surprisingly complex study of a damaged family is thought-provoking and ultimately devastating cinema. Lafosse creates a quietly powerful film that in other hands would have come off as a simply dark "kitchen sink" drama. Nue proriete is far more than that. Much of the film's success is thanks to an engaging and enigmatic performance by Isabelle Huppert - who, as she often manages to do, makes the viewer try to figure out what is going on behind those eyes and gestures. Profound and disturbing, Joachim Lafosse makes the audience almost feel guilty for having seen these private moments of a family on the verge of implosion.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Boring to watch: divorce, consequences, untold realities of divorce to children, leading to tragedies... blah, blah, blah...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

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Joachim Lafosse

Director

Isabelle Huppert

Pascale

Jérémie Renier

Thierry

Yannick Renier

François

Kris Cuppens

Jan

Patrick Descamps

Luc

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Hank Sartin

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Melissa Anderson

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Intense and very involving drama by Belgian director Joachim Lafosse.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 18, 2008

Full Review

Matthew Turner

ViewLondon

Rated: 3/5

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Steve Watson

Film4

Ingeniously uncomfortable but occasionally too opaque, Private Property is a darkly inventive family drama.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 18, 2008

Full Review

Tom Dawson

Total Film

Thanks to the acuity of their performances, the old adage "You always hurt the ones you love" rings new and true.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 18, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Pascale (Isabelle Huppert) leads a lonely life with her adult sons François (Yannick Renier) and Thierry (Jérémie Renier) at a rural estate subsidized by her ex-husband's alimony payments. When Pascale falls for neighbor Jan (Kris Cuppens), she makes plans to move in with him. But Pascale's twin sons -- loafers who treat her like a servant and refuse to accept the responsibilities of adulthood -- won't let her go. The family remains locked in a stalemate until someone makes a startling move.

Director: Joachim Lafosse
Screenwriter: Joachim Lafosse, Francois Pirot
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (Canada)
Release Date (Theaters): May 18, 2007, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $62.9K
Runtime: 1h 32m