Dir: Francois Ozon | Cast: Hélène Vincent, Josiane Balasco, Ludivine Sagnier, Pierre Lottin, Garlan Erlos, Malik Zidi, Sophie Guillemin, Paul Beaurepaire, Sidki Bakaba | France, Drama 102’
Burgundy is a perfect location for this wise and wistful family saga that centres on a muted murder mystery and stars veteran actors Josiane Balasco and Helene Vincent. This time around the popular French director adds a dash of the supernatural to his signature blend of irony and dark humour in a fable of ordinary folk.
Despite its awkward (US translated) title “When Fall is Coming” this is a warm and comfortable film about real people who’ve not succumbed to plastic surgery and love nothing more than family, good local food and wine. And being October it’s time for mushrooms: everyone has their own little secret spot for picking them. And Michelle (Vincent) and her close friend Marie-Claude (Balasco) meet to share this seasonal pleasure in the woods near their home in Cosne sur Loire. The poisonous ones are to be avoided at all costs, but Michelle has a guide book at hand, and prepares a delicious family dinner.
Despite her care, one of mushrooms has a bad effect on her daughter Valerie whose fractious arrival and swift departure back to Paris, with her nine-year-old Lucas (Erlos), breaks the gentle rhythm of this mellow autumn rendezvous. After the mycological mishap, Valerie refuses Michelle access to her treasured grandson Lucas, leaving the poor woman tearful and depressed. And her mood is not helped by the dying days of this damn squib of a season.
Undeterred Michelle makes a surprise visit to Valerie in Paris to plead with her, but is given short shrift at the front door. Michelle and her daughter clearly don’t see eye to eye, despite Michelle’s generosity in giving Valerie the flat in the first place, but that’s all part of the problem and largely due to this mother’s risqué Parisian past that financed her family, but also caused them shame. As usual, Ozon drips feeds us clues leaving us to fill in the plotholes.
When Marie Claude’s son Vincent (Lottin) is released from prison Michelle offers him a lifeline. And Vincent is so thankful to the older woman, and protective of Michelle and his mother’s past, he decides to give Valerie a taste of her own medicine, and therein lie the dramatic tension as the story unfolds towards its climax, Evgueni and Sacha Galperine once again supplying the ansty score. MeredithTaylor
SILVER SEASHELL JURY PRIZE WINNER | SAN SEBASTIAN 2024