[FilmReview]DeclarationofWar(2011)andCustody(2017)

EnglishTitle:DeclarationofWarOriginalTitle:LaguerreestdéclaréeYear:2011Country:FranceLanguage:FrenchGenre:DramaDirector:ValérieDonzelliScreenwriters:ValérieDonzelli,JérémieElkaïmCinematography:SébastienBuchmannEditing:PaulineGaillardCast:ValérieDonzelliJérémieElkaïmCésarDesseixBrigitteSyElinaLöwensohnBéatricedeStaëlAnneLeNyFrédéricPierrotMichèleMorettiPhilippeLaudenbachBastienBouillonElisabethBionKatiaLewkowiczGabrielElkaïmRating:7.6/10EnglishTitle:CustodyOriginalTitle:Jusqu’àlagardeYear:2017Country:FranceLanguage:FrenchGenre:DramaDirector/Screenwriter:XavierLegrandCinematography:NathalieDurandEditing:YorgosLamprinosCast:DenisMénochetLéaDruckerThomasGioriaMathildeAuneveuxFlorenceJanasSophiePincemailleSaadiaBentaïebEmilieIncerti-FormentiniCoralieRussierMartineVandevilleJean-MarieWinlingMathieuSaikalyMartineSchambacherJean-ClaudeLeguayJéromeCare-AulanierJennyBellayJulienLucasRating:8.1/10TwoFrenchfilmspluckilywrestlewithfamilialtribulations,actress-turned-directorValérieDonzelli’ssecondfeatureDECLARATIONOFWARfocusesonapairofparentswhosechildisdiagnosedwithbraintumorwhereasCUSTODY,XavierLegrand’sfeaturedebut,coversacustodycaseandtheuglytruthofdomesticateviolencewithspectacularrestraint.Bothtopicscanreverberateuniversally,butDonzelliandLegrandhaveverydifferent,evendisparateapproachestopresshometheirimpact.DOWisinspiredbytherealstoryofGabrielElkaïm,thesonofDonzelliandherex-partner,actorJérémieElkaïm,whosuffersamajorbraindiseaseasaninfant.Inthefilm,DozelliandElkaïmplayayoungcouplenamedJulietteandRomeo(howfatefultheirdestinyissetinstoreforthem!),togethertheyhaveababyboyAdam(Desseix),buttheirdomesticblissisevanescent.WhenAdamis18monthsold,heisdiscoveredhavingabraintumorandafteranoperation,thecancerprovestobemalignant,thereforeRomeoandJulietteexpendnextfewyearslivinginthehospitalwithAdam,whoneedstobetreatedmedicallyonaquotidianbasis.Ifthepremiselooksdrearyanddistressful,that’sthelastthingDonzellitriestoevokeinherfilm,whichiswhy,sheover-dramatizesthemostheartbreakingmoments,viz.whenthefamilymembersreceivethebadtidings,todulltheedgeofitspathos(theirreactionsareexplosiveratherthanimplosive),alsobyintroducingAdamattheageof8(playedbyGabrielhimself)rightoutofthebox,audienceisreassuredthatallwillbewell.DOWplaysuptothesolidaritybetweenRomeoandJuliette,andamongtheirextendedfamiliesthroughout,meantime,itisalsocrucialtopointupthateveninthefaceofunforgivingadversity,peopleneedstooffloadtheirpressureandkickuptheirheelsonceinawhile,an“openkiss”partycouldjustdothetrick,Donzelliandco.practicewhattheypreach,seeingeverythingthroughrose-coloredglasses,itistheGallicspiritbillowingoutofthemostarduousordealforabraceofyoungparents,asentimentalFrenchchansoncanjustbobupatthedropofahat,traversingdifferentplacestoformaduetoftheheart.Holdingontodearlyitscinema-véritéfashion,whichtallieswithitsauthentictakeontheclinicalbutprofessionaldoctorsandhospitalstaff,DOWalsoflourishesontheorganic,mutuallycounterpoisedperformancesfromDonzelliandElkaïm,whoareinperfectsyncintheirtwo-shotsandtheirlingeringaffectionsfroeachothermakesastrongcasethattrueloveshouldneverbepossessive.Yes“possessiveness”isthebaneinCUSTODY,asequelfollowsLegrand’sOscar-nominatedshortfilmJUSTBEFORELOSINGEVERYTHING(2013).Butforthosewhohaven’tseentheshort,thefilmastutelyopensinacustodycourthearing,andallowsaudiencebethejudge,withoutanybackgroundinfo,solelypursuanttothecourtproceedings(chieflythroughthetwolawyers’statements),whomshallwerootfor?Antoine(Ménochet),afatherwhoseekssharedcustodyofhis11-year-oldsonJulien(Gioria),orMiriam(Drucker),Julien’smotherandAntoine’sex-wife,who,oneday,simplywhiskedawayJulienandhiseldersisterJoséphine(Auneveux)fromAntoine(JUSTBEFORELOSINGEVERYTHINGdetailswhathappensinthatspecificday),andaccuseshimofbeingviolent.EvenwithJulien’sletter,inwhichheindubitablystatesthathedoesn’twanttostaywithAntoine,canwepermitthefatherasecondchance?Ithinkmostofuswouldconcurwiththejudge’sverdict.ThatisexactlywhatLegrandlaysbare,inthedearthoftestimony,thelawismorelikelytofailtoprotectthevictimofdomesticabuse.IfMiriam’sobviouslackofawarenessofcollectingphysicallyevidence(intheshortfilm,wecanseebruisesalloverherbody)isanecessaryplotdevicetoveerthenarrativeintothatparticulargruelingdirection,CUSTODYcompensatesbygeneratingthethrillandtensionbycontemplatingdangerinextremepropinquitywhenJulienisobligatedtospendtimewithAntoine,anditsoondawnsonaudiencethatwhatamonstertheseeminglybenevolentfatheris.AlthoughheneverlaysafingeronJulien,butthesheeremotionalabuseheunleashesonhisprepubescentsonissostaggeringanddeeplyunnerving,praisebeGioria,awunderkindwhocouldwithholdsuchafusilladeofhectoring,coaxingandthreatening,thenresponseswithutterlystunningreactionshots,somuchsothatviewersmightseriouslyconcernabouthistraumatizedmentality.Ménochetinhabitstherevoltingcharacterwithsonorousprecision,andhiscrocodiletearsattestthatprocuringforsympathyisapossessiveabuser’scommonshenanigans,ameanstocontinuethisviciouscircle.DruckerhasamoresidelinedpresenceasMiriaminthefirsthalf,buttakesthecentralstagewhenthesituationdeteriorates,shebecomesmoreandmoreawareoftheforthcomingdanger,hersteadfastgazeanduprightpostureeclipseherpetitefigure,especiallyintheclimax,shelteringastartledchild,shetrembles,wheezesbutalsorecollectsherselfinherworstnightmare,likethefinalgirlinahorrormovie,onlywecanvicariouslyfeelherfear,herdesperation,alongwithGioria’s,they’revisceraltothecore,whatasearingmasterpieceofactingandLegrand’sphlegmaticcontrolofalltheactionstotallyobliterateshisgreenness.BothfilmsarebigplayersintheCésarAwards,DOWreaps6nominationsandCUSTODYisthetophonorrecipient,includingatriumphantvictoryforDruckerandLegrand’sscript.Theformerisaboxofficesuccesswhilethelatterisacriticaldarling,togethertheyrepresentthetop-tieroffilmmakingwhichdiscreetlyprobesintothecomplicateddynamismamonganuclearfamilyunit,twosidesofacoin,onelife-affirming,onecautionary,botharethebreadoflifewecannotgetenoughof.referentialentries:JoachimLafosse’sOURCHILDREN(2012,6.7/10);JacquesAudiard’sDHEEPAN(2015,7.1/10);LéonorSerraille’sMONTPARNASSEBIENVENUE(2017,7.4/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。