The Son: Amazon.ca: Olivier Gourmet, Morgan Marinne, Isabella Soupart, Nassim Hassa�ni, Kevin Leroy, F�licien Pitsaer, R�my Renaud, Annette Closset, Fabian Marnette, Pierre Nisse, Stephan Barbason, David Manna, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Arlette Zylberberg, Denis Freyd: DVD

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews

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4 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars truth is in the detail, Jun 21 2004

By

peter (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Son (DVD)

This is a marvellous film. For me anyway, it constitutes a masterpiece. This is certainly not a film for anyone looking for easy excitement. As the central protaganist slowly comes to realise, meaning is something that reveals itself after a great deal of attentiveness and work. The meaning is in the attentiveness and patience to detail, and there is certainly plenty of detail in this finely crafted work. It is this description of the ordinary that constitues its deeply spiritual core. There is revelation at the end, but it is a quiet, understated yet realistic opening out to a greater awareness.

In a word, the film deals with such issues as anger, revenge, hurt, incomprehension, and maybe more importantly, it is a subtle study of the often mysterious workings of patience, understanding, love and forgiveness. The graphic on the DVD jacket foregrounds very well one of the central metaphors of this film, namely, that we all need to find, from somewhere, the grace and humility needed to carry one's cross through life. This is definitely a film to be savoured more than once.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THE AGONY OF MORAL CHOICE, July 17 2004

By

Shashank Tripathi (Gadabout) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Son (DVD)

With some staggery candid camerawork and next-to-none minimalistic soundtrack, which is no doubt rather demanding on the senses, The Son manages to lay a gruelling texture of moral dilemma and the intrigue that goes with it.

Olivier Gourmet plays a carpenter, with an uncanny ability to judge the metric distance between any two points on a board, perhaps a metaphor for his character's moral precision. (I have never seen Gourmet before, but if wins awards, I will know exactly why.)

This carpenter develops a liking to a younger apprentice. It's eventually revealed that this liking is linked to a tragedy in the past, that continues to cast a pall over several of the film's characters. I will not not dilvulge the exact nature of that tragedy, that'd spoil the enigma, but the film is relentless in outlining its ramifications -- the angst, guilt, confusion, and how the carpenter finds himself both drawn to and repulsed by the youngster.

The overall ambience of the film may be bleak and murky, but its pervasive human spirit is very rewaring for all the patience it demands. Not recommended for casual filmgoers, but a very meditative example of arthouse for the more discerning eye.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional film, Jun 20 2004

By

C. O. DeRiemer (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Son (DVD)

This movie is absolutely first-rate. There is not a speck of melodrama in it. Olivier Gourmet who plays the teacher is phenomenal. He's in every scene. He plays the emotionally shipwrecked father with great depth. There are no smiles, no frowns, no anger. You're never quite sure what retribution might happen. The ending is quiet and powerful.

For those interested in the craft of film-making, there are two lengthy, excellent interviews with the Dardenne brothers and with Olivier Gourmet. The DVD transfer is excellent; the subtitles are quite readable. There isn't a great deal of dialogue in the film, so reading the subtitles is no bother.

If you like serious films, this one is a keeper.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Painfully Breathtaking
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Published on Jun 26 2004 by Dr Tathata

1.0 out of 5 stars give me a break!
if you like this movie and gave it 4 to 5 stars, pls buy or rent the other wonderful (definitely) similar movie: 'dancer in the dark' to get the same shaky camera effect you like... Read more