I had a lovely surprise the other night and found A Kid (en Francais: Le Fils de Jean) rentable on Bell TV. Little did I expect it to be such a warmly moving film.Out of the blue, a young Parisian man receives a call about the death of the Quebecois father he never knew. Hearing that he has two half-brothers, he impulsively jumps on a plane and flies over for the funeral only to find that it won't be easy to connect with the only family he has left (his mother having died some years previous).
This French/Quebecois film begins in a manner that was quite unassuming, but soon I realised that I was seeing a quality of writing/directing/ acting that I had not expected. There is a quiet sense of mystery and tension in this family drama that isn't exploited but remains realistic and true. There are a few moments of lightheartedness but it never pretends to be a comedy.
The film perfectly integrates the setting of a lonely cabin on a Canadian lake; in fact, the cultural relationship between Quebec and Paris is an important part of the film.
Quietly woven through are themes of commitment, forgiveness and the long term consequences of character and choices. There are some moments that felt especially tender for me as they reminded me of my own experiences of being invited into a certain family's life for a few brief times - underlined even by some physical resemblances. My mug is up high with a (probably slightly inflated) ****
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