J'enrage de son absence (2012)

Touched to the depths of his being by the death of his child in a car accident nine years earlier, Jacques has lost his bearings. For this loss is all the more difficult to stand as Jacques... See full summary »

Director:

Sandrine Bonnaire

Writers:

Sandrine Bonnaire (scenario), Jérôme Tonnerre (scenario)

Stars:

William Hurt, Alexandra Lamy, Augustin Legrand

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Jacques
Alexandra Lamy	...	Mado
Augustin Legrand	...	Stéphane
Jalil Mehenni	...	Paul
Françoise Oriane	...	Geneviève
Norbert Rutili	...	Le notaire
Matteo Trevisan	...	Félix
Serge Hutry	...	Le commissaire priseur
Colette Kieffer	...	La secrétaire
Véronique Fauconnet	...	La serveuse
Jean-François Wolff	...	Le chauffeur
Gilles Soeder	...	Le chauffeur 2
David Bonnaire	...	L'habitant
Jérôme Varanfrain	...	Employé location de voitures
Laura De Lagillardaie	...	Artiste du cirque

Storyline

Touched to the depths of his being by the death of his child in a car accident nine years earlier, Jacques has lost his bearings. For this loss is all the more difficult to stand as Jacques was driving the car in which his son was killed. His relationship did not survive the tragedy and Jacques left, traveling far from the place where his and his wife's happiness was shattered. Now Jacques is back in France for the funeral of his father. In the meantime his wife has started a new life and has a new child.

---

Plot Keywords:

f rated | tombstone | cemetery | father son relationship | mother son relationship | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France]

Country:

France Belgium Luxembourg

Language:

French English

Release Date:

31 October 2012 (France)

Also Known As:

Maddened by His Absence

Filming Locations:

Arlon, Belgium

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mon Voisin Productions, Mosaique Films, Iris Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

"Mindfully cinematographic, invariably mysterious..."

French actress, screenwriter and director Sandrine Bonnaire's feature film debut which she co-wrote with French screenwriter Jérôme Tonnerre, premiered in the International Critics' Week Special Screenings section at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival in 2012, was shot on locations in Belgium and Luxembourg and is a France-Belgium-Luxembourg co-production which was produced by producers Dominique Besnehard, Michel Feller and Thomas Schmitt. It tells the story about a middle-aged American man named Jacques whom after his father has passed away returns to the place he has lived for thirty years to settle his inheritance. Whilst there, Jacques contacts a woman named Mado who lives there with her husband named Stéphane and their son named Paul whom is in school and who spends most of his time with his friend named Félix.

Distinctly and subtly directed by French filmmaker Sandrine Bonnaire, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a refined and effectively involving portrayal of a French mother who one day is reunited with a man she once loved and a primary school student whom is introduced to a man who almost immediately gains his confidence. While notable for its naturalistic and atmospheric milieu depictions, reverent cinematography by cinematographer Philippe Guilbert, production design by production designer Denis Hager, costume design by costume designer Magdalena Labuz and use of sound, colors and light, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about a visitor whom hasn't got too much to return to, depicts an internal and reflective study of character and contains a great and timely score by French composer André Dziezuk.

This densely conversational, naturally humorous and eloquently understated drama which is set during a summer in France in the 21st century and where a grieving architect from Boston, USA with questionable intentions whom is on a temporary stay in another country befriends and becomes humanly attached to the six-year-old child of his female friend and her spouse whom is thinking about changing jobs and moving to a new place, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, subtle character development and continuity, affective and prominent instrumental tones, graceful scenes between Jacques and Paul and the pivotal and convincing acting performances by American actor William Hurt, French actress Alexandra Lamy, French actor and director Augustin Legrand and actor Jalil Mehenni. A mindfully cinematographic, invariably mysterious and genuinely heartrending narrative feature.