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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
91 of 92 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lessons in life and love,
By P. J. Salisbury "science fiction author" (UK) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Grocer's Son [DVD] (DVD)
Sulky, indifferent, wayward, son Antoine reluctantly agrees to run his sick father's grocery business. Elder son Francois is far too busy trying to make good in his hairdressing salon and feels he's done enough already. Antoine is accompanied to the south of France by a neighbour, Claire, under the pretext that she would find it easier to study in the countryside, rather than in the hustle and bustle of Paris.
Antoine's utter ineptitude and inability to relate to the elderly, rustic clientele prompts Claire to develop an interest in the travelling grocery side of the business. Meanwhile, the story fairly crackles with the dialogue of family dysfunction, batting back and forth between the characters like a mountain thunder storm. Claire is a hapless by-stander as the grocer's wife does her best to retain her dignity, while the men snipe at each other. By contrast the scenery is stunning, showing the beauty of this mountainous region of France. The aging customers served by The Van are full of life, humour, vigour and eccentricity, and there are many well-observed and humorous moments. A `will they, won't they' theme develops between Antoine and Claire. It is tantalisingly drawn out across most of the film, adding suspense to the other tensions and frictions between expertly portrayed characters. The inept and gruff male characters are mercilessly harangued and tripped by the female characters in an attempt to make them see sense and change their views of life and relationships. Will it ever dawn on the father and his sons that the reason they have trouble with other people is their own stubborn fault? A delightful, sweet, compelling drama. You can not fail to be delighted.
27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Thwarted expectations,
By
This review is from: The Grocer's Son [DVD] (DVD)
I bought this DVD on the strength of the product blurb and other reviews but I have to say I was disappointed. Only in the last ten minutes did it take a rather implausible upturn and then only because it was such a relief that the lead character showed some signs of coming out of full sulk-mode. Except for the mother the family would not have been out of place in an English soap for general unpleasantness and as for the "hero" - he seemed to be prolonging small-boy tantrums and adolescent surliness into early middle age.
The scenery is beautiful and if you want to be reminded of the sunshine in the middle of an English winter it would fill the bill but not if you want a film with characters in whom the milk of human kindness remains uncurdled. I will watch it again in the hope of finding some redeeming features which were not apparent on first viewing but I have the feeling that the central character will leave me with the same sense of irritation as before.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie,
By
This review is from: The Grocer's Son [DVD] (DVD)
It's one of my favorite french movie.
The actors are great and the story is very good. It's the story of a man who learns to become an adult, it's talking about family, love, the relation between a father and his son. It's also quite funny
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