"You Will Be My Son" stands to be the most dutifully French movie I've seen since Godard's "Breathless." The film is the equivalent of a girl wearing a beret riding a bike with a baguette in the front basket while chasing down a poodle. Seriously though, this is the brie of foreign thrillers.
The film takes place on a family-owned and -operated vineyard where passionate yet overbearing Paul de Marseul is faced with the task of replacing his head steward and right-hand man, Francois Amelot, when Francois learns he has cancer. Utterly terrified at the prospect of his son inheriting the vineyard, Paul makes it a point to find a new heir. Paul's son, Martin, is seemingly unable to live up to his father's markedly high expectations and does his best to impress his father but only manages to further infuriate him.
Martin received his college education in business, but Paul believes wine-making can't be learned in school but rather is a skill that is intrinsically learned. Instead, Paul turns to Francois's son, Phillipe, to take over the business. Martin soon finds out about his father's plan to put Phillipe in charge and begins to act out accordingly. The family drama puts a strain on both the Marseul and Amelot households as Paul alienates everybody involved with his relentless pursuit of a replacement son.
The drama soon comes to a head as Francois learns he has only a few days left to live and Paul proposes to adopt Phillipe. The ending, albeit predictable, is brilliantly calculated and wholly satisfying. The unnerving tension between Paul and Martin is so overwhelming that by the time the climax arrives, it's a much needed exhale of relief. We are prefaced with the fact that Paul dies at the very beginning of the movie, so everything leading up to the ending of the film merely serves as a means to an end. That aside, there are plenty of thrills along the way to satiate your thirst for the dramatic.
As to be expected, "You Will Be My Son" is beautifully shot, using the picturesque French countryside as the backdrop to an otherwise dark and painful story. The juxtaposition between the story itself and the cinematography creates a beautifully ominous film that is truly unique. A similar story told from an American perspective simply wouldn't translate as well. There's something about the overall snootiness of the entire movie that is very French and, given the plot, ultimately very apropos. One thing is for sure: You will be moved.
The Blu-ray release of "You Will Be My Son" comes equipped with deleted scenes and a cast/crew commentary track. Although pretty barebones in terms of special features, the movie itself is one that will keep you thrilled throughout.
Film: 4 Yaps Extras: 3 Yaps