From acclaimed French director Olivier Assayas, and featuring performances from some of the brightest stars in French cinema today, Summer Hours is an insightful story of one middle class French family coming to terms with the loss of their mother, the disappearance of their childhood memories, and the challenges of sibling differences.
They are worlds apart: Adrienne (Juliette Binoche) is a successful designer who loves the life she has made for herself in New York. Jérémie (Jérémie Renier) is a globe-trotting businessman with his sights set on a life in China with his young family. And Frédéric (Charles Berling), the only one to have remained in his home country, is an economist and university professor who lives in Paris with his wife and two teenage children.
The three grown siblings return, with their young families in tow, to the family’s grand country estate for the 75th birthday of their mother Helene (Edith Scob). But amongst the celebrations, and as they revisit memories of a happy past, there is uneasiness in the air. Helene takes the occasion to talk about the future and what will happen when she is gone. Central to the conversation is the matter of their beloved house and its contents, including her uncle’s exceptional 19th century art collection, comprised of classics from Corot, Redon and Majorelle.
It is not long before Adrienne, Jérémie and Frédéric are required to re-assemble at the old estate, although under much less joyous circumstances. The subsequent death of their mother forces conversations and decisions each are reluctant to make. They have their shared memories and heritage, but each has a unique vision of the future.
Returning to the roots of classic French cinema, Assayas sculpts a beautiful, thoughtful drama which explores themes of mortality, identity and the delicate balance of preserving our ties to the past whilst finding peace with moving on.
In Cinemas April 2
View the trailer at www.summerhours.com.au
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