513 Summer Hours

[franco]

Summer Hours

[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2647/513_box_348x490_w128.jpg[/img]

Widely hailed by critics as 2009’s best film, Summer Hours is the great contemporary French filmmaker Olivier Assayas’s most personal film to date. Three siblings, played by Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, and Jérémie Renier, must decide what to do with the country estate and objects they’ve inherited from their mother. From this simple story, Assayas creates a nuanced, exquisitely made drama about the material of globalized modern living. Naturalistic and unsentimental yet suffused with genuine warmth, this is that rare film that pays respect to family by treating it with honesty.

Director-Approved Special Edition Features:

- New, restored high-definition digital transfer, approved by director Olivier Assayas and cinematographer Eric Gautier (with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)
- New video interview with Assayas
- A short documentary featuring interviews with Assayas and actors Charles Berling and Juliette Binoche, and showing the cast and crew on set
- Inventory, an hour-long documentary by Olivier Gonard, shot partly in Paris’s Musée d’Orsay, that examines the film’s approach to art
- Theatrical trailer
- New and improved English subtitle translation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Kent Jones

Available on DVD and Blu-ray

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Not sure how many people are into this movie but I find my own reaction fascinating. It went from respectful indifference to obsessive rumination, and finally resulting in an aggressive eagerness for a second viewing. Although I disagree with 50% of the reviews written by Noel at DVDTimes, his observations on Summer Hours are spot-on. This is an extremely understated film, rare in French cinema and dichotomous to Desplechin. Assayas has learned from the best of Ozu and Hou, cultivating emotional depth in narrative restraint, while still working with that fluid, unobtrusive, and energetic mise-en-scene, all bearing the stamp of his name. It is also true that the film has one of the most powerful endings ever; it blew up my mind in cinema and still blows up my mind whenever I reflect on the experience.

Having seen Assayas' other films since then, I now feel more resonance in my reflections and more appreciation for Assayas' comment that this is the summation of his work so far. In some ways I doubt one can fully embrace Summer Hours without being an Assayas fan (notably for L'Eau froide and Late August, Early September). This now joins L'Intrus and Three Times as one of the finest "best of" moments in a filmmaker's career.

The Artificial Eye DVD is coming near the end of the month. I am glad there aren't too many ridiculous quotes and obscene stars on the cover.

[foggy eyes]

Franco, I loved this unreservedly! It's perhaps the central part of this year's great triptych of 'family/home dramas' in world cinema alongside Desplechin's A Christmas Tale and Kore-eda's Still Walking. There is a notable connection to Ozu, Hou and Yang but, as you say, Summer Hours really is very much an Assayas film. The dynamic between image (exploratory mobile camera) & sound (deafening hip hop) in the climactic house party sequence is utterly exhilarating, certainly as much so as similar sequences in Desplechin's films. I must catch up with (the seemingly much-maligned) Boarding Gate as soon as possible.

Thanks for reminding me to pre-order the AE DVD.

[evillights]

I must catch up with (the seemingly much-maligned) Boarding Gate as soon as possible.

Don't delay — it's a major film; one of the best films of the decade, in fact. I don't know what anyone professing hate, disappointment, or even 'dislike' for this film wants out of cinema — not an extraordinary relationship between mise-en-scène and scenario; or astonishing performances from a film's leads (the two centerpiece interactions are landmarks); or an undiminishing flow of emotional truth, apparently. No-one needs or needed to sell me on Asia Argento, but I'll just remark that when Assayas says in the on-disc interview that in working with Argento he has met the woman who is, in many ways, his ideal actress, and that he hopes Boarding Gate is Chapter 1 of a long working relationship throughout both their careers, I zealously anticipate the results.

The IFC/Magnolia disc is quite good, and not PAL->NTSC — hopefully a sign of quality to come.

[rs98762001]

It's perhaps the central part of this year's great triptych of 'family/home dramas' in world cinema alongside Desplechin's A Christmas Tale and Kore-eda's Still Walking.

I would also add Kurosawa's TOKYO SONATA to this list, which is just as fascinating as the Assasyas and Desplechin films, although on a smaller, more intimate scale than both (I haven't caught up with Still Walking yet).

[Antoine Doinel]

North American trailer.

[Fiery Angel]

In familial bric-a-brac, finding himself

[Cde.]

This is a very beautiful film.

Far better than Desplechin's hysteria drenched melodrama (although it's still of interest).

[so lightly here]

Another subtle domestic situation from the usually reliable Assayas. It seems to me he is best at these little stories with a group of people in somewhat difficult situations, making the best of it without the high drama or pathos of American films of this sort.

Similar, I would say to "Late August, Early September", "Irma Vep" or "Clean". A story of what the grown children are going to do with their mother's art collection and family home. Assayas has such a subtle touch that nothing gets too out of whack here. His camera may get shaky but not the tone or the plot. Juliette Binoche is wonderful as always, as is the rest of the cast (unknown to me). Had me wondering where my too vast collection of dvds are going to end up!

[Michael Kerpan]

I prefer (decidedly) Kore'eda's Still Walking to either the Desplechin film (which I disliked) or the Assayas or K. Kurosawa ones (which I liked). Second to Kore'eda -- in terms of family drama -- I'd put the slightly more offbeat Funuke -- Show Some Love You Losers! (Yoshida, 2007).

[zedz]

I thought this was a superb film (and like Michael K, I thought it was in a different class altogether from the florid and forced A Christmas Tale), showing Assayas' effortless mastery of space and sound, and eliciting some great, relaxed performances from his actors (three cheers for Edith Scob!). It almost seemed to have been conceived as an exercise in avoiding conventional dramatic resolutions. Time and again, the narrative groundwork was laid for predictable conflicts, but time and again Assayas had the smarts to take the less-travelled path. Not all roads lead to melodrama. I look forward to revisiting this film for years to come.

[FerdinandGriffon]

Time and again, the narrative groundwork was laid for predictable conflicts, but time and again Assayas had the smarts to take the less-travelled path. Not all roads lead to melodrama.

This was exactly where I thought the film failed. All of the dramatic conflicts seemed very tired and cliched to me, and to play out in the most conventional fashion possible. The matriarch is unresigned to her age, and upset with her children, who are. The trendy, modern siblings want to sell the old family homestead, whilst their more traditional, reasonable older brother would like to keep it. The aged retainer is opinionated but lovable. The grandchildren have no appreciation for another era's cultural artifacts, listen to rap music, and get drunk and party in their deceased grandmother's house. And, because this is a French-family-Drama with a capital D, let's throw in some incest for good measure.
Other than Scob, who was wonderfully difficult, the rest of the cast phoned in completely forgettable performances, not surprising considering how little they had to work with. I think it's a good film, and one I'd like to see again, but for it's beautiful camerawork and the loveliness of the objects that it meditates on, not for the limpid and lifeless story.

[zedz]

Time and again, the narrative groundwork was laid for predictable conflicts, but time and again Assayas had the smarts to take the less-travelled path. Not all roads lead to melodrama.

This was exactly where I thought the film failed. All of the dramatic conflicts seemed very tired and cliched to me, and to play out in the most conventional fashion possible. The matriarch is unresigned to her age, and upset with her children, who are. The trendy, modern siblings want to sell the old family homestead, whilst their more traditional, reasonable older brother would like to keep it. The aged retainer is opinionated but lovable. The grandchildren have no appreciation for another era's cultural artifacts, listen to rap music, and get drunk and party in their deceased grandmother's house. And, because this is a French-family-Drama with a capital D, let's throw in some incest for good measure.

I think you and I are looking at the same thing from glass-half-full / glass-half-empty perspectives. What I enjoyed about the film is that the conventional set ups you identify don't turn into conflicts (e.g. the split amongst the siblings doesn't result in the eldest opposing the younger ones - he simply accepts it and moves on; the contestable items - such as Eloise's vase - are not contested; the revelation of possible incest also fails to generate any dramatic conflict). And I think, given Assayas' history on film with contemporary music and wild parties, that you've misread the final scenes. I saw the point of it being that the granddaughter does appreciate the family legacy, but in a different way.

[Svevan]

I saw the point of it being that the granddaughter does appreciate the family legacy, but in a different way.

My girlfriend and I saw the same thing: though their party may border on disrespect, the grandchildren are using the property in their own way by enjoying the immensity of the house and landscape. The party is essentially sanctioned by Frederic and his wife who, in my mind, would probably have done something similar when they were younger. The nuanced point is that the house is shorn of all the items that made it so meaningful to Frederic and his siblings, yet even in its stripped down state it presents memories for both the youngest granddaughter and the elderly Eloise (who returns right before the party scene). The different levels of value that objects and places have to us (financial, artistic, sentimental) is the film's strongest theme, and to preserve the house in its pre-Helene state after her death is to me no different than putting the items on display at the Musee d'Orsay. The grandchildren are using the house and enjoying it, even if it has been gutted. Globalization's effect on the family, (particularly Jeremie and Adrienne), and by extension the entirety of France, is also a major theme and in that context I found the party and especially the final shot to be a symbol of the necessity of cultural evolution, combining the twin emotions of hopefulness and worry for the new generation of French young adults.

[Cde.]

Couldn't have put it better. I completely agree.

[Matt]

Announced

[Svevan]

If you haven't seen the film, I recommend you don't watch the trailer: 1) it gives the impression that the movie is a typical French family drama, with lots of yelling, or perhaps overly stuffy and refined, etc, and it is not (in fact it manages to avoid cliche and genre convention by brushing as close to both as possible); and 2) since this is a movie of small details, perfect moments of revelation can be ruined by knowing the outcome. So skip the trailer if you can.

Extras are somewhat spare for a two-discer, though since the film's themes center so much on art and household objects, an hour doc discussing them will have plenty to talk about. Other than that, hope the subtitles truly are "new and improved." Can't argue from my knowledge of French (limited), but the subtitles seemed very solid and complete when I saw it twice in theatres.

[domino harvey]

Widely hailed by critics as 2009’s best film

[citation needed]

[Matt]

I'm sure it refers to the IndieWire poll.

I watched this on Netflix Instant over the holidays and my reaction was about the same as franco's: I thought it was a fine entry in the "contemporary family drama" cycle of recent films (A Christmas Tale, Tokyo Story, Still Walking, and maybe 35 Shots of Rum), but it didn't do much for me until the very last scene, which is emotional sucker-punch. This scene keeps flickering in the back of my brain, and I am eager to see it again. I'm sure a second viewing will be aided by not being in shitty Netflix Instant "the network is overtaxed" resolution and not being late at night on New Year's Eve.

[swo17]

The trivia question from yesterday's newsletter:

Do you know which upcoming Criterion release was just named the best foreign-language film of 2009 by the National Society of Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the New York Film Critics Circle, as well as the number-one movie of the year in an indieWIRE poll of more than one hundred critics?

[domino harvey]

But unless it was hailed by the majority of critics as the best of the year, it should read "widely hailed as one of 2009's best films." Placing somewhere in a top ten on the most lists isn't the same thing at all

[Matt]

"Widely" is the weasel-word. It's a way of saying "mostly" or "largely" but not "unanimously" or "universally."

[domino harvey]

It's an unfortunate choice though, because the film charting that high is a laudable achievement and the label didn't need to tart it up for ad copy that rings patently false to anyone reading it

[swo17]

If you look more closely at that indieWIRE poll, Summer Hours appeared on only 54 of the "more than one hundred" critics' lists. Granted, that's the most that any film appeared, but it still seems like a far cry from being "widely hailed."

[Matt]

Maybe they should have been brutally honest: "Widely agreed upon by some critics as a pretty good movie in a shitty year for movies..."

[bradass]

Just revisited this film - what a gentle masterpiece. Absolutely a living, breathing work to keep coming back to. I haven't seen any other films by Assayas; can anyone recommend other works of his with similar qualities? The more recent, sourcable ones (Boarding Gate, Demonlover) seem more edgy than Renoir.