Les petits fils (2004) User Reviews

This could have been a better movie.

[jaybob · 5/10 · 17 May 2009]

This is writer/director Elan Duran Cohen's second feature,His first since 'Confusion of Genders'in 2001. I am not sure if I saw it but it sounds better than this one.

Les Petit Fils (The Grand Sons) is not as enjoyable as I was led to believe. ONE major reason for this was the sub-tiles, the font was very small & hard to read,I had trouble understanding what was happening.

The two lead characters a Grandmother and her grown grandson were not interesting for me to really care for either one. Reine Ferrato in her first role tries to give a good performance.The script has her constantly talk, to me that is a characteristic I want to avoid. It made her very annoying & somewhat unlikeable.

Guillauame Quatravaux is the grandson & this too is his first role, He also tries hard,I felt his crying scene at the end was out of place. I did not see the need.

The rest of cast is good, the production is adequate..

The best thing about the film was its length 81 minutes long.

I also felt in was claustrophobic, In nearly every scene all the characters seemed to be almost on top of each other.

Maybe If I was able to read the subtitles clearer, I may have liked the movie better.

Ratings: ** (out of 4) 57 points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)

Meananderingly Slow

[Franco-LA · 2/10 · 16 August 2007]

This movie is about a woman who had to raise the son of her own son and his wife, who ran away and left father and son to fend for themselves. The implication is made, but never cleared up, that she was not French. The film is shot on video and often has a the look and feel of a documentary, which hurts it with its story line and continuity. It often introduces topics early in the film only to bring the pay off far later on in the film. Rather than doing this intuitively and intelligently, in a manner that would bring the later moment into a realization that advances the essentially plot points, these payoffs simply appear as either distractions or attempts to wrap up lose threads before the filmmaker ran out of money (since he obviously couldn't run out of film).

The film is not without some elements to recommend it but overall, it is not sufficiently cohesive as a narrative nor original and charming as a story to recommend it, when there are so many more interesting and worthwhile films in the IMDb database, both about the nature of loss and mourning, the rediscovery of close, familial ties, whether natural or created by individuals amongst themselves, or about how gays feel the need to create their own family bonds in place of the natural family which is denied them, for whatever reason.

immensely satisfying

[jimvanbuskirk · 10/10 · 19 June 2005]

This low key story of an elderly woman's relationship with her grandson, around their shared loss of her daughter/his mother is infused with emotional honesty and integrity. The characterizations of the protagonists as well as the secondary characters are so richly nuanced that we feel we know these people, with all their strengths and foibles. She is resolutely set in her ways, he is often bratty, but their love for one another transcends their differences The film's poignant humor leavens its emotional moments to provide an immensely satisfying cinematic experience. Having seen this at the San Francisco International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, I can only hope that it finds the audience it deserves.

Just not engaging

[davidm923 · 2/10 · 21 May 2009]

Quite a disappointment. I was primed for the film, but, oh well. What lovely reviews from most fellow IMDBers. But to me, people who watched this movie are reading more into the film that it merits.

Sad to say this middle aged partnered gay man found it tiresome and not very interesting. There is scant character development, and very underwritten parts. The potential for some interaction between two of the men (anything, like sharing ideas, thoughts) fails to develop.

The performances were natural enough. My boyfriend is European and has rescued me from the frequent indulgences of my beloved American cinema. The 80 minutes went by slowly. Alas.

The seemingly ordinary becomes extraordinary.

[Michael-70 · 9/10 · 17 July 2005]

I saw this film at the 11th Philadelphia Gay Lesbian Film Festival. The titular grandson is gay, but nothing much is made of it in the film and it is certainly not the engine that drives the story.

Guillaume is a petulant twenty-something who regularly visits his grandmother. While there, it seems that all they do is fight and snipe at each other, but all of this posturing simply masks a deep hurt they both feel over the early death of the boy's mother from breast cancer.

Feeling abandoned by his mother, Guillaume takes it out on his grandmother who is eccentric in ways that drive the young man crazy. Still, they have a very strong bond and it is only through time and the intervention of a couple of other characters, the boy's older lover, a young gay student who takes a housekeeping position with the grandmother and a small, but very intelligent boy who the grandmother sometimes babysits that our hero, and I will call him our hero Guillaume finally takes his mothers ashes to Scotland to disperse them according to her final wishes.

It is a wonderful, emotional moment. Filmed in a New Wave style, the film has the appearance of just happening before your eyes. Don't be put off by this gem. It takes a few minutes to get into, but once you are there, your in for a nice ride.

A wonder

[gladouna · 10/10 · 9 December 2005]

this is a wonderful feature, so sensitive, intelligent and funny at the same time. The story of this relationship between a grandmother and her grand son who refuses to mourn his mother, is deeply touching while never sentimental, which makes it a very modern and original film. Ferrato and Quatravaux, as well as the entire cast, are wonderful and so natural. The way Duran Cohen play with the audience with this mix reality and fiction is troubling but reminds me of the world we live in, a world where you never know what's true or not. May be that's what makes this film so modern and grabbing. Grandsons won a first prize at horizon section of the Venise Film Festival and it deserves it. See it where you can.

A real little gem...

[Pasky · 9/10 · 31 January 2006]

This film is so refreshing and touching... You have to see it! This is the story of Guillaume, 24 years old, who studies to be an opera singer. He tries to free himself from the love of two women: his mother, who just died, and his grandmother, who brought him up. The relationship between Guillaume and his granny is often stormy. Especially since Régine, the grand-mother, keeps on the balcony of her Parisian apartment an urn containing Guillaume's mother ashes, which goes against the dead woman's last wishes, who wanted them to be scattered in Scotland. A few other 'satellites' evolve around these two eccentric characters: Ben, a little boy who stays at Régine's from time to time, and who's fascinated by the mysterious urn, Maxime, the young guy who come to clean up Régine's apartment, and Serge, who's in love with Guillaume, but who doesn't seem to be able to express it... They're all so human (with a slight touch of 'Woody Allenish' humor, from time to time). It's never really sad, often very touching, and never boring. A must see!