It’s a successful Québec film with Hollywood taste. There’s no intense story but “the life with my father” You will probably overlook it with a not romantic title, however, you will find the title just right when you watch the film. It is romantic but not ordinarily romantic. The success is at how it portrayed the personae to their most delicate.
Famous writer François wrote only one novel in his life – but what a novel! He likes the women, the wine but most of all his sons, Paul and Patrick. Two brothers are opposite: Paul is an unconventional apprentice writer while Patrick directs a multinational corporation of the pharmaceutical industry. After a long absence, François reappears in their life, alone, without a penny and sick, but always with the same rage to laugh, to like … to live, all simple.
Here is the conversation between François and Paul:
François: How’s the writing?
Paul: I’m blocked. When I sit down at the computer … I go blank.
François: Forget reality. See where the words take you.
Paul: I can’t start if I don’t have the ending.
François: I started my best sentences not knowing how I was going to end them. What if they don’t end?
The film’s title is “the life with my father” but it indeed is about life in general. Writing is rewriting life. We start our life without knowing how we are going to end and why should it end?
Then is François’ monologue:
One son makes empty promises (Paul); the other sees only obstacles (Patrick). What’ll happen when I’m gone? You’re constantly sniping, contradicting each other … It’s not about getting anywhere. What matters is leaving, looking. It’s not about destination. What matters is what happens along the way. That’s what’s amazing. The detours, the hitches along the way … the encounters, too, especially the encounters. Success, failure, illness, they’re just distractions, really. Life puts things in our way. What matters is how we respond to them and what we leave behind.
This is exactly what he leaves behind.
He is worried about his sons’ snipe and contradiction to each other when he’s gone so he asked Patrick to promise him:
He (Paul) is a good boy, you know. He’s more fragile; that’s all. You’re strong. I’m not worried about you … For a long time I thought you’d be the writer (but Patrick didn’t while Paul would)… Promise me one thing; look after Paul. Unconditionally, okay?
He asked Paul the same.
Paul published his first novel about the life with his father and is successful. When he’s asked, “you’ve capitalized on your dad’s success” Patrick answered for him, “What can a father bequeath other than an attitude? A house? Money? Anyone can have those. A father’s words first enable us to interpret the world. Paul could have written his book without his father’s. But he couldn’t write it if his dad hadn’t been part of his life.”
That’s what François leaves behind.
The film is also beautiful at its pure white theme. Here are some unforgettable scenes to share with you:
François’ illusion of this gorgeous blonde:
Family reunion at skating rink:
Last but not the least, the novelist, the director made this delicate film, finely portrayed personae, and, the actors and actress’ performance is also impressive. I luckily captured the image when Paul, Patrick and Paul’s girlfriend Sylvie were together, and when they were at their most beautiful moment – smile, Paul’s loveliness, Patrick’s charm and Sylvie’s grace. Everyone is imperfect but this image perfectly shows their most beautiful side. I omit François but his beauty is at his wisdom, his words.
By the way, Hélène Florent who played Sylvie’s role is a very special actress; although her role is not as important as the rest three characters her performance is remarkable.
There is another Québec film very similar; it’s called “the Barbarian Invasions” and it’s Academy Award Winner. However, I prefer “La Vie avec Mon Père”.
“the Barbarian Invasions” may contain more prolong contents or may have some successful trivia or you may talk about the “meaning” it brings you; but “La Vie avec Mon Père” is finer.
Two fathers (main characters) in two films both like women but “the Barbarian Invasions” shows this in a less beautiful way, and therefore, leaves the main character less meaningful.
The theme of “La Vie avec Mon Père” is pure white – winter with snow; the theme of “the Barbarian Invasions” is mature autumn which is also great, however, it didn’t make enough use of this beautiful season; on the other hand, if the main character is not beautiful, then the beautiful season loses its meaning to be beautiful.
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