Summer Hours film review

certificate_12A

SUMMER HOURS

French writer/director Olivier Assayas may not be that well-known amongst fans of French cinema abroad, but in his native country he has released a film nearly every other year for the last two decades. He has never been one to easily pigeonhole, crossing a number of genres and styles and his latest is very much a middle class film about middle class people.

A family saga with echoes of the work of Eric Rohmer, Summer Hours never seems quite sure what it wants to be or exactly where it is going. This may be intentional - to add an air of mystry or sophistication - but it is the kind of thing to put off those disinclined towards French cinema.

When a matriarch of a well-to-do family passes away, her inheritance leaves a problem. What should the three children do with a house they don't need and only use as a summer retreat? They each have their own take but only the eldest (Charles Berling) lives in France ad wants to keep it. The other two (Juliette Binoche and Jeremie Renier) have successful careers abroad and wish to sell, as their love and respect for their homeland seems to be on the wane.

There are one or two other miniplots, and the house itself, formerly the abode of their grand-uncle, a celebrated painter, has an important role to play. It's all directed with some flair by Assayas and the ensemble cast is excellent.

Yet it is still a frustrating film as it never really reaches a dramatic high or gives a real resolution. I was reminded of another 2008 film starring Jeremie Renier, Private Property, which also dealt with the future of a property and its implications on family life, and which seemed to tackle the matter in a more satisfying way. However, Assayas may have plans to make Summer Hours the first of a series, so there may yet be secrets to be revealed.

Paul Hurley