How I Killed My Father (2001)
"Comment j'ai tué mon père" (original title)

When his long-time disappeared father is entering his life again, Jean-Luc, a successful doctor, has no option but to face his own life story. Will he ever be able to forget and forgive?

Director:

Anne Fontaine

Writers:

Jacques Fieschi, Anne Fontaine

Stars:

Michel Bouquet, Charles Berling, Natacha Régnier

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michel Bouquet	...	Maurice
Charles Berling	...	Jean-Luc
Natacha Régnier	...	Isa
Amira Casar	...	Myriem
Stéphane Guillon	...	Patrick
Hubert Koundé	...	Jean-Toussaint
Karole Rocher	...	Laetitia
Marie Micla	...	The Prostitute
Nicole Evans	...	The Female Patient
Philippe Lehembre	...	Homeless Guy / Elderly Patient
Pierre Londiche	...	Isa's Father
Jean-Christophe Lemberton	...	Cyril
Manoëlle Gaillard	...	Isa's Mother
Etienne Louvet	...	Myriem's Son
Claude Koener	...	The Official

Storyline

Jean-Luc is an established gerontologist who can do no wrong; he runs a private clinic specialising in anti-ageing treatments. Honoured for his work in this field, he throws a garden party at his home. It is during this social event that his father suddenly reappears, back after a long exile. A physician, he had left decades earlier without any apparent reason to practice in Africa. He moves into his son's home for several days, phlegmatically observing everything with an enigmatic smile. He peruses Jean-Luc's life and environment with cruel objectivity. The arrival of this interloper father, who everyone thought had disappeared for good, shatters the family microcosm: Jean-Luc doesn't know how to take him, as if the memory - or the resentment - was nothing but lost time; his wife becomes fond of this highly unconventional man; after first refusing to deal with him, Jean-Luc's younger brother strikes up a modest bond with him.

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Plot Keywords:

memory | gerontologist | party | africa | doctor | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Spain France

Language:

French

Release Date:

19 September 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

My Father and I

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$7,480 (USA) (23 August 2002)

Gross:

$7,480 (USA) (23 August 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ciné B, Cinéa, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

User Reviews

The story of a son who is confronted by his father, and the journey of his emotional make-up is explored.

This is a film whose title i find highly significant. It creates a tension throughout all the action which i find highly integral to the significance of the piece.

The casting, however, i found cliché. The 'rich yet forlorn' wife of Jean-Luc is predictably docile looking. Beautiful she is, yes, and aristocratic in movement, also, but she is exactly what one expects. Equally, Jean-Luc's lover, who is more Mediterranean looking, with more spirit and with a more voluptuous body, is also the archetypal affair. Why, in 2001 are we still type-casting? However, I find Jean-Luc immaculately chosen, with the touch of 'froideur' in his eyes that hints at a depth in the character, and also, an 'un-depth' for it is very difficult to penetrate his often emotionless actions.

Not a film that i would say was beautifully shot...i don't find the photography breathtaking, but it is a perfect french thriller: classy, subtle and psychologically deep.