Custody (2017)

A broken marriage leads to a bitter custody battle with an embattled son at the centre.

Director:

Xavier Legrand

Writer:

Xavier Legrand (screenplay)

Stars:

Léa Drucker, Denis Ménochet, Thomas Gioria

23 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Léa Drucker	...	Miriam Besson
Denis Ménochet	...	Antoine Besson
Thomas Gioria	...	Julien Besson
Mathilde Auneveux	...	Joséphine Besson
Mathieu Saikaly	...	Samuel
Florence Janas	...	Sylvia
Saadia Bentaïeb	...	La juge
Coralie Russier	...	La greffière
Sophie Pincemaille	...	Maître Davigny
Emilie Incerti-Formentini	...	Maître Ghenen
Jérome Care-Aulanier	...	Agent opérateur Police Secours
Jenny Bellay	...	La voisine
Martine Vandeville	...	Madeleine, la mère d'Antoine
Jean-Marie Winling	...	Joël, le père d'Antoine
Martine Schambacher	...	Nanny, la mère de Miriam

Storyline

Antoine Besson, Miriam's divorced husband, is a nice man. In charge of security in a hospital, he is esteemed both by his superiors and his fellow colleagues. Moreover he is a good father who, willing to be closer to his eleven-year-old son Julien, has chosen to be transferred to the town where the boy lives with his mother and his older sister Joséphine, soon to be of age. That is the very reason why Antoine, the caring father, is asking for joint custody of Julien. Well, all that would be fine provided Antoine actually was the man he claims to be. The trouble is that his wife and his two children see him in a very different light. For in the past, Antoine was far from an angel. On the contrary, he had a knack for creating an atmosphere of permanent fear at home, going as far as to occasionally beat his wife under his children's eyes. And he got away with it all the more easily as Miriam, wishing to avoid even more problems, never lodged a complaint against him - a fact that ...

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | lie | violent father | child custody | judge | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

John Waters named this film among his top ten favorites released in 2018.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Connections

Follows Just Before Losing Everything (2013)

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Soundtracks

Proud Mary
Written by John Fogerty
Performed by Mathilde Auneveux and Mathieu Saikaly

User Reviews

The acting is stunning

This film will make you uncomfortable in its realism, the scenes with the son and his father have to be seen to understand how outstanding and " life like " their performances are. It is tense and will keep you on the edge of your seat and yet it is no piece of fiction per se but a story taken from real life and rendered in a disturbing and touching way. A good example of the film maker's art with no gimmicks, a real story believably told. Watch it and see.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site - Blu-ray [France] Official Site [France]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

7 February 2018 (France)

Also Known As:

Custody

Filming Locations:

Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,947, 1 July 2018

Gross USA:

$83,882

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,790,303

Company Credits

Production Co:

K.G. Productions, France 3 Cinéma, Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (as Dolby 5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1