Our Children (Á perdre la raison) (2012)
Cast includes: Niels Arestrup (War Horse, A Prophet), Tahar Rahim (A Prophet), Émilie Dequenne (Rosetta)
Director: Joachim Lafosse (Private Property)
Genre: Drama (111 minutes) French with subtitles
“You have to bury them in Morocco,” says Murielle. “We’ll see what we can do.” “You have to tell their father. You have to tell Mounir.” We see the small caskets go on the airplane, and we later see Mounir hugging André. It’s a sad day. The flashback takes us to happier times. Mounir and Murielle scramble to get rid of the evidence of their day at the beach and the lovemaking in Dr. Pinget’s car. “I want to marry you,” says Mounir. “What did you say?” Murielle responds. “You heard me right.” The lovebirds plan to tell Dr. Pinget… “call me André"… at dinner, but he has to leave and take care of a patient. Mounir’s job isn’t going well, so André suggest that he come work in his office. Mounir has lived with André for years now, ever since the doctor brought him from Morocco and took him under his wing. André has been like to a father to Mounir. That’s why Mounir is eager to tell André that he wants to marry Murielle. “Hold on. There’s no reason to marry the first girl who blows you. Besides there’s a difference in culture.” “You like her, don’t you?”
“If you want to live with us, that’s fine with me,” André tells Murielle. But Mounir still wants to marry Murielle, as soon as they can save the money for a nice honeymoon. “Your honeymoon trip will be my present,” says André. “We couldn’t accept… unless you come with us.” It’s a beautiful wedding… Mounir’s family even comes up from Morocco. “You’ll have beautiful children inch’Allah.” Mounir’s mother tells Murielle. And indeed Jade, the first born, comes along right away. Living with André does have its advantages. When Murielle has trouble getting Jade back to sleep during the night, André has just the right touch. Before long there are two more babies, and when the nursery gets too crowded, André turns his office into a second nursery. Of course, there’s a subtle price to be paid for living under André’s roof. The young family has very little privacy, and Mounir is very much aware of his debt to André. Anything that upsets André upsets Mounir. If it weren’t for the doctor, he’d still be living in Morocco. “What about living in Morocco?” Murielle wants to know.
That idea goes nowhere… except to hurt André’s feelings. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when things deteriorate beyond the point of no return. But we’ve already seen the little coffins, so we know the danger signs are real. It’s heartbreaking to watch the slow unraveling of family life. There aren’t any villains… another reason to feel sad about what happens. Our Children is a totally naturalistic portrayal of a slow-motion tragedy. The acting is absolutely invisible. Émilie Dequenne gives a nuanced performance as the young mother, and audiences will recognize Niels Arestrup from many wonderful films, dating back to the mid 70s. Mounir can’t forget the kindness of the mentor who took him in as a boy. “Remember, it’s still his home.”
3 popped kernels
Mounir had the good fortune to be mentored by a kind doctor… and when Mounir wants to marry Murielle the doctor’s home becomes their home
Popcorn Profile
Audience: Grown-ups
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Depressing
Tempo: In no hurry
Visual Style: Unvarnished realism
Primary Driver: Character development
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Thought provoking
