The Son (2002)
"Le fils" (original title)

A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.

Directors:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Stars:

Olivier Gourmet, Morgan Marinne, Isabella Soupart

9 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Olivier Gourmet	...	Olivier
Morgan Marinne	...	Francis
Isabella Soupart	...	Magali
Nassim Hassaïni	...	Omar
Kevin Leroy	...	Raoul
Félicien Pitsaer	...	Steve
Rémy Renaud	...	Philippo
Annette Closset	...	Training Center Director
Fabian Marnette	...	Rino
Pierre Nisse	...	Apprentice welder
Stephan Barbason	...	Apprentice welder
David Manna	...	Apprentice welder
Abdellah Amarjouf	...	Apprentice welder
Jimmy Deloof	...	Dany
Anne Gerard	...	Dany's Mother

Storyline

Olivier - meticulous, careful, even-handed - teaches carpentry at a vocational school in Liège. He's asked to take on Francis, 16, a new student. He declines the request then begins to watch, even spy on, the new lad. Olivier knows something. Later that day, he's visited by Magali, his ex-wife, who tells him that she's remarrying and is pregnant. Olivier seems to follow instinctive responses: "why today?" he demands of Magali; he continues to follow Francis; he changes his mind about enrolling the youth. What's the history between the two? After that becomes clear, what is it Olivier will do? Is this precise and measured carpenter in control of himself?

---

Plot Keywords:

rehab center | carpenter | carpentry | student | theft | 

---

Taglines:

Guldpalmen for bedste mandlige skuespiller 2002[Denmark]

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery

---

Details

Official Sites:

Diaphana [fr]

Country:

Belgium France

Language:

French

Release Date:

9 October 2002 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

The Son

Filming Locations:

Seraing, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$585 (USA) (30 May 2003)

Gross:

$65,571 (USA) (17 October 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Archipel 35, Les Films du Fleuve, Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Partly inspired by the Jamie Bulger murder, a case that shocked England in 1993 when a two year old toddler was murdered by two 10-year-old boys.

User Reviews

Do you still want to be a carpenter?

The directors of 'The Son', brothers Jeane-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, are together experienced documentarians. This is made explicitly clear in the film's style, which affords the camera the rare opportunity in modern cinema to see rather than show. The difference is immense. Renoir, Ozu and Rossellini understood the difference, and now the Dardennes can be added to that illustrious list.

The Dardenne brothers are masters of exploding the minutiae of everyday life to beautiful, poetic proportions. Their films are largely concerned with observing people at work (see also Rosetta and La Promesse), obsessively detailing the intricate structures and routines of the mundane, the everyday. Hitchcock famously described film as life with the boring bits removed; a Dardenne film is life with the boring bits dissected, investigated and ultimately celebrated.

The film is about all the sons - the sons that were, the sons that are and the sons that will be - and all should see it.