Movie Review: The Grocer's Son

LE FILS DE L'ÉPICIER (THE GROCER'S SON)

Main Players: Nicolas Cazalé, Clotilde Hesme, Daniel Duval, et al

Calling the shots: Eric Guirado

Running time: 96mins

What's it about? A thirty-something son of a grocer, struggling with life and stuck in a dead-end job, reluctantly returns to his home-country town to help run his parents' Grocery store after his father has a heart attack. With his friend (and potential love-interest) in tow, the town he left becomes his oasis and he rediscovers what life should be about.

What did I think? Trust the French. A lot of French made films have a certain charm, a certain magic to it that is undeniable. This one is no different and it has a very calming effect. You watch and you let it just take you away, it really is pure magic.

The cast of characters that appear in the film are all wonderful, if somewhat cliched, but you don't really care. Think about all the eldery people you can think that might live in a sleepy little country town and they will appear. The grumpy, the deaf, the senial. It's done so beautifully you are enchanted by everyone. The lead characters do a good job as well. The character of Claire is central to the whole change that is brought upon the movie and Antoine goes from an arse to a likeable young man.

The other major star of this film is the picture-esque scenery. It is always present but never overshot. Combined with the soundtrack it has that soothing/calming effect I was referring to earlier. And because the film doesn't rely too heavily on it, it works well each time their is a long take.

As with any film though, something needs to happen and the issues that lay beneath the characters are very real and well handled. The broken family, unacquainted love, a marriage falling apart. It detracts from the charm of the film, but all play a vital role in making the movie what it is.

It's a wonderful movie to just watch and relax. If anything else, it will make you think about life and what you should be doing with it. And for a movie to do that, it take something special.

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