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Les Petites Vacances (2006)

Director: Olivier Peyon

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From Time Out London

Nouvelle Vague muse Bernadette Lafont is mesmerising as a grandmother on the run in this finely wrought, leisurely debut from Olivier Peyon. After taking her two semi-estranged grandchildren for a mini-break in the Alps, Danièle (Lafont) can’t bring herself to return the pair to their parents. What begins as a wretched attempt to reinstate herself into the kids’ lives soon develops into a cry for help as holiday turns to road-trip turns to journey into the abyss. Though Danièle first appears jolly and sympathetic with a certain veiled intrigue, she’s a balancing act that Peyon doesn’t quite pull off: he and co-writers Cyril Brody and Gladys Marciano feel duty bound to explain away her emotional maladies in order to keep a tight leash around the audience’s neck when a looser, more conflicting character would have been more satisfying. Still, even though the precisely layered, Jenga-tower narrative becomes tiresome towards the end, punches that could have easily been pulled in the final scenes make firm and full contact.

Author: David Jenkins 2006-10-19 15:07:30

Time Out London Issue 1923: June 27-July July 3 2007

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User reviews of this film

Technoguy said...

Posted on May 05 2009 14:18 This was a surprisingly unexpected film.Journey was more important than arrival.Danielle(Lafont) the grandmother, seems thoughtful and kindly as the charge of her two grandchildren,Marie and Thomas.She takes her two grandchildren to their father's house for Easter.A retired schoolteacher,she has regularly taken on this responsibility after her daughter's divorce.She is peeved to find out their father is delayed in returning from his job and she takes them on an extended day out to spend more time with them. This day turns into an impromptu holiday.The real drama is between her and Marie,who is rebellious and wants to become adult,not return to second childhood.Danielle feeds off the youthful energy of the kids and there is fun, adventure and great scenery.But this trip will be her last with the kids as Marie will be old enough to take her brother next year.Danielle is
escaping from her loneliness,loss of work role and personal role.She wants freedom and for the journey
to carry on, cutting herself off from all contact
by lies,evasions,throwing her mobile into the sea.The
desperation is evident in the fury in which she kills
a marmot and her increasing inability to face
responsibilty.The kids are by turns tacitly accomplices or growing more anxious and worried.She
reveals her mental state at times by feinting,falling
over,becoming more fragile.She is an emotional
monster using emotional blackmail and yet we never
lose sympathy with her.The film ends somewhat poorly
as all the chickens have still to come home to roost
but the central performance is spellbinding under
which is a feeling of bleak sadness.The film is
beautifully shot.A real find.

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