Le Fils de Jean (2016)
Directed by Philippe Lioret

Film Review

Philippe Lioret describes his latest film Le Fils de Jean as a 'family thriller'.  Loosely based on Jean-Paul Dubois's novel Si ce livre pouvait me rapprocher de toi, it is another deceptively simple work in which a rootless young Frenchman, unsure of himself and the direction his life is taking, undertakes a journey to Quebec to find out more about the father he never knew he had.  It is hardly the most original of scenarios but Lioret brings to it his customary flair for character detail and delivers a modest film that powerfully engages with the emotions, albeit not quite as strongly as some of his previous films, notably Welcome (2009).  In its tone and subject matter, it greatly resembles the director's earlier family drama, Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas (2006).

Making good use of its picturesque Montreal setting, Le Fils de Jean offers some striking visuals that subtly mirror the changing mood of the central protagonist - admirably portrayed by Pierre Deladonchamps - as he tries to inveigle his way into his father's family without them discovering who he is.  Deladonchamps first revealed his formidable talents in Alain Guiraudie's L'Inconnu du lac (2013), for which he won the Most Promising Actor César in 2014.  As the rudderless Mathieu he turns in another nuanced, sensitive portrayal and conveys something of the desperate yearning of a man who needs to connect with his dead father so that he can acquire an adult identity and make something of his own life, before it is too late.

The film is equally well served by its contingent of Canadian actors, in particular Gabriel Arcand, who brings an impressive depth and breadth to the most complex character, Pierre, who effectively becomes a substitute for the missing father, helping to guide Mathieu on his essential journey towards maturation.  As in all of Lioret's films, the plot plays second fiddle to the characters and how they interact with one another, so whilst the film's mystery component falls somewhat flat and feels like an unnecessary add-on, the character portrayals are startlingly vivid and make this one of the director's more engaging and humane films to date.

Film Synopsis

Mathieu, a 33-year-old divorcé with a young son, is taken by surprise one day when he receives a telephone call from a stranger notifying him of the death of his father Jean.  Having been brought up by a single mother, Mathieu has no clue as to the identity of his father and so is curious to find out more.  It appears that his father has been living in Canada for some time and has two grown-up sons.  On the pretext of collecting a parcel left to him by his father, Mathieu makes the journey to Montreal to attend the funeral and is met by Pierre, a close friend of Jean.  The latter coldly warns Mathieu that his stepbrothers Sam and Ben are unaware of his existence and he must on no account reveal his identity to them at this difficult time.  It seems that Jean died from a heart attack whilst fishing from his boat in the middle of a lake and the body hasn't yet been recovered.  As he gets to know his father's Canadian family and acquaintances, Mathieu wonders why his existence was kept from them.  He soon begins to suspect that something is amiss...