The title immediately makes it clear what kind of film this is going to be: a French-styled glance at the daily life of a teenage boy. A film like this doesn't depend on action, but on careful observation and Une Enfance comes close to reaching the same heights as director Claudel's Il y a longtemps que je t'aime.
Jimmy, thirteen years old, lives with his mother and stepdad in a small town in Eastern France. He practically takes care of the house alone: his mother's addicted to smack as well as his drunk stepdad who plays the ol' abusive dad role: whining about politics and The Man on the one hand and sitting on his ass all day on the other. He's the kind of guy that'll monologue relentlessly about oppression before threatening Jimmy with a punch in the mouth if he so much suggests rebellious behavior. Yeah, zero points for consistency, slick. Jimmy is the one who has to take care of his little brother, Kévin, making sure he's dressed, fed and ready for school. This is our starting point and from here, we see the situation both gradually change, yet stay the same.
The film's strength is obviously Claudel's gift for observation and psychology. I already mentioned the dual nature of Jimmy's stepdad, but the same applies to his mother who obviously, when she isn't doped up, wants to provide for Jimmy, but is frankly unable to do so on a consistent basis, especially when dear old dad is always nearby. One of the more interesting recurring scenes are those where the mom hugs Jimmy. Jimmy doesn't really enjoy it, because the mom usually spaces out on his shoulder and you soon realize that the motherly hug isn't to comfort Jimmy, but to comfort her. It's these psychological nuances that are littered throughout Une Enfance and add to the experience. If this kind of film relies primarily on observational skills, then Une Enface is worth a watch.
The acting, as expected, is also of a pretty high standard. Jimmy, despite only smiling in the final scene which also functions as a homage to Truffaut's film, carries the film on his shoulders. The mother and stepdad are also played well, though you can imagine they don't exactly exhibit the most character development you've ever seen. Also noteworthy is the kid who plays the little brother. He's only in it for half the film, but displays all the right emotions. I particularly remember the scene where Jimmy and all the school kids performed a high school play and are all standing on stage, facing their proud parents. Predictably, Jimmy's mom and stepdad aren't present, but little Kévin is, wearing the brightest smile you'll ever witness.
The film isn't perfect, however. Parts of the story are just too predictable. Jimmy secretly takes care of a stray cat. We soon find out that his stepdad hates cats. Hmm, I'm sure nothing bad could possibly come out of this... The crappy state of affairs in Jimmy's family also ensures that there's just too little character development. It's precisely the point, of course, to show the damage the mom and stepdad inflict on Jimmy, but these characters just don't change that much, so it can be tiring to watch a dysfunctional family for over an hour and a half. Another gripe has to do with several non-functional scenes, where Jimmy watches fireworks alone, rides on his bicycle alone, etc. You know the intention is to show Jimmy's daily life in all its detail, but sometimes these scenes can feel a bit like padding, especially when they're accompanied by those tiresome, hazy-voiced ballads. What's worse is that one of these scenes show Jimmy being infatuated with a pretty girl, only to find that this potential subplot is abandoned for pretty much the entire film, save for one scene towards the end.
Nevertheless, Claudel's attention to detail stands tall in the end. Whether it's the portrayal of Jimmy's relationship with Kévin, him taking care of the house, him shortly meeting his real father, him dreaming about his future, these psychological details triumph in the face of any (valid) criticisms and makes Une Enfance worth your time.
Jimmy, thirteen years old, lives with his mother and stepdad in a small town in Eastern France. He practically takes care of the house alone: his mother's addicted to smack as well as his drunk stepdad who plays the ol' abusive dad role: whining about politics and The Man on the one hand and sitting on his ass all day on the other. He's the kind of guy that'll monologue relentlessly about oppression before threatening Jimmy with a punch in the mouth if he so much suggests rebellious behavior. Yeah, zero points for consistency, slick. Jimmy is the one who has to take care of his little brother, Kévin, making sure he's dressed, fed and ready for school. This is our starting point and from here, we see the situation both gradually change, yet stay the same.
The film's strength is obviously Claudel's gift for observation and psychology. I already mentioned the dual nature of Jimmy's stepdad, but the same applies to his mother who obviously, when she isn't doped up, wants to provide for Jimmy, but is frankly unable to do so on a consistent basis, especially when dear old dad is always nearby. One of the more interesting recurring scenes are those where the mom hugs Jimmy. Jimmy doesn't really enjoy it, because the mom usually spaces out on his shoulder and you soon realize that the motherly hug isn't to comfort Jimmy, but to comfort her. It's these psychological nuances that are littered throughout Une Enfance and add to the experience. If this kind of film relies primarily on observational skills, then Une Enface is worth a watch.
The acting, as expected, is also of a pretty high standard. Jimmy, despite only smiling in the final scene which also functions as a homage to Truffaut's film, carries the film on his shoulders. The mother and stepdad are also played well, though you can imagine they don't exactly exhibit the most character development you've ever seen. Also noteworthy is the kid who plays the little brother. He's only in it for half the film, but displays all the right emotions. I particularly remember the scene where Jimmy and all the school kids performed a high school play and are all standing on stage, facing their proud parents. Predictably, Jimmy's mom and stepdad aren't present, but little Kévin is, wearing the brightest smile you'll ever witness.
The film isn't perfect, however. Parts of the story are just too predictable. Jimmy secretly takes care of a stray cat. We soon find out that his stepdad hates cats. Hmm, I'm sure nothing bad could possibly come out of this... The crappy state of affairs in Jimmy's family also ensures that there's just too little character development. It's precisely the point, of course, to show the damage the mom and stepdad inflict on Jimmy, but these characters just don't change that much, so it can be tiring to watch a dysfunctional family for over an hour and a half. Another gripe has to do with several non-functional scenes, where Jimmy watches fireworks alone, rides on his bicycle alone, etc. You know the intention is to show Jimmy's daily life in all its detail, but sometimes these scenes can feel a bit like padding, especially when they're accompanied by those tiresome, hazy-voiced ballads. What's worse is that one of these scenes show Jimmy being infatuated with a pretty girl, only to find that this potential subplot is abandoned for pretty much the entire film, save for one scene towards the end.
Nevertheless, Claudel's attention to detail stands tall in the end. Whether it's the portrayal of Jimmy's relationship with Kévin, him taking care of the house, him shortly meeting his real father, him dreaming about his future, these psychological details triumph in the face of any (valid) criticisms and makes Une Enfance worth your time.
