The Son

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Kevin L @Lakeman 06/08/2022 'The Son' ("Le Fils') is a 2002 film by the Dardenne brothers, the creators, writers, directors of some of the more impressive works of film of the last twenty-plus years. It's a very quiet film, but it is also an intense film, with that intensity created as much with the camera and physical expression as with the story line or actions. The Dardennes love to concentrate on the faces and body language of their characters. This has never been more true than in 'The Son', where the film not only stays almost constantly on lead character Olivier, but it is so close much of the time it is almost like and extension of his body. This allows the wonderful actor Olivier Gourmet to create the person we are to come to know and understand largely without dialogue or exposition. The story is one of loss, how it is dealt with or not, but this is not some revenge movie or heartfelt melodrama, so the less said about the plot, the better. It starts simply as we find Olivier teaches carpentry to teenage boys. He checks their work. He demonstrates proper technique. He's quiet and meticulous, but there's always that intensity about him. Maybe this is a training program for kids who've had some trouble in their lives, but the Dardennes are far too subtle to spell that out. Instead they follow Olivier as he helps the boys measure, cut, and hammer. He is offered another boy to learn the trade after having some time served for some criminal behavior. He first refuses, but then takes him on, knowing something about that boy that begins to take him over. We learn there was a tragedy, and he and his wife split up. Does this boy have something to do with it? Is he looking to maybe use this boy as some sort of proxy for his own loss? The reality is a bitter pill, and we begin to sense another tragedy may occur. The film merely observes what they're doing now, diving right into what feels like a very real world, knowing that these people are today the sum total of all of their days. In one scene, the boy (Francis) finds pleasure in measuring parking spaces with his new ruler while admiring Olivier's ability to eyeball distances with great accuracy. In another scene, we see the boy clutching his head after nearly causing an accident on a ladder that says about as much on his mental state as an essay might. Still, that claustrophobic camera stays there on Olivier's shoulder, literally and figuratively, as he struggles to find the right and necessary distance to keep between himself and his pupil, which is harder to eyeball than the distance between parking spaces. He, the filmmakers, and the viewers all have choices to make: what should he do, what might he do, and what's the most that a society can reasonably expect of him, knowing that people seldom reach their ideals and carry anger in their hearts? Truly fine stuff, but there's such subtlety, such quiet intensity, that I feel a great many viewers may miss or just fall short of appreciating what the movies gives us. Life unfolds like this, not with big bold, brash statements and actions; not with melodramatic swoops and flourishes. 3.8 stars See more nefasto r @Nefasto 01/24/2019 I've seen few Dardenne brother's now, so I knew better than expect a fast paced, feel-good story, but "The Son" was nevertheless challenging. It is another good film, but the austerity and simplicity, in these case, was a bit too much for my tastes. We take a bit to understand what is going on, and when we do, nothing much else happens! See more 05/02/2018 Another social drama with simplistic and down to earth approach by Dardenne Brothers. Here the close character study protagonist,ill-fated father of a son killed mistakenly is examined thoroughly. The film explores the universal but doomed fatherly love in an unusual way when he employs the juvenile criminal and starts teaching him different crafts, then some questions are certainly arisen from Dardenne's screenplay. Does he find his son or his being in that boy? Does he just want to know the boy better? Does he want to take vengeance even after the boy's trial? Or Is he just trying to get some explanation? Well, throughout the film the directors are answering those questions from time to time as they are going those dark and unexplored corners of person's mind . In the end, we also come to know that he has forgiven the boy charged as guilty. And it is realized that this should be the only option to that whole case. See more 05/02/2018 An excellent film, but maybe it's not for everyone, especially if you think that movies like M. Night's Unbreakable move 'too slowly'. The Son is more along the lines of a character study. It takes a while to start to really go somewhere, but really gets you hooked once you start to get some information on some major details about the characters' and start forming ideas of where the film is headed. This is one of those films that should be seen without reading anything about it ahead of time. I'd say it's a must-see for anyone who truly loves film. See more 05/02/2018 Breathtaking. Understated. Perfect. The Dardenne Brothers weave a subtle and sinister tale of a Carpentry Teacher whose unusual obsession with his newest pupil builds into a strange and unnerving relationship. Culminating in a stunning, memorable stand-off in a wood shed, that will have your heart pumping and your nerves jumping. This is intelligent and thought-provokng stuff, Independent Cinema at it's very best. See more 05/02/2018 Unique movie that captivates the audiance in a battle of forgiveness without any extra hollywood music and meaningless words. A true one of a kind movie. Beautifully done. See more Read all reviews

The Son

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