A Brilliant Conflict

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

From famous french director Etienne Chatillez this hilarious black comedy shows you the problems between old people and their relatives. 'Auntie Danielle'(Tsilla Chenton), an 82 years old widow with a malicious personality. After the accidental death of Odile (Neige Dolski) the housekeeper who has spend a life time taking care of her, Paris is her only destination. Her nephew Jean-Pierre (Eric Prat) and his wife Catherine (Catherine Jacob) decide to welcome the beloved auntie to their home in the big city. The old lady finds hard to accept the new conditions of living, which ends up in a difficulty and sometimes nasty behavior towards her family. When Jean-Pierre decides to take his wife and kids on summer holidays, Sandrine Vonnier (Isabelle Nanty) is employed to take care of the old lady. Their personalities clash in the beginning, but soon auntie Danielle realizes that Sandrine is a young version of herself. They start to form kind of friendship and the madame Bulliard seems to be happier and actually quite nice. Excellent performance by a former french theater actress Tsilla Chelton. Absolute must see for fans of black comedy. It will make you laugh until you cry.

I have to say that I don't like this film. I love French films because I think they are more in depth, thought-provoking, and spend more time developing relationships between the characters. Unfortunately, Tatie Danielle is cruel and mean. She criticizes everybody but herself. She makes everybody else's life worse than hers by her actions. The way she treats people including the old woman who cared for her in the beginning of the film is exceptionally cruel when it causes her death. She moves in with unsuspecting relatives who have two young sons. One son is obviously homosexual but the parents either ignore it just turned a blind eye to it. Not Tatie Danielle! You can imagine what she has to say and do. Just look what she does to the family pet dog. Anyway, she finally meets her match in the caretaker assigned to her when the family takes a much-needed Greek vacation for a month. If only Americans could take month-long vacations, how I envy the French. Anyway, they get along until she has to leave her. Then Tatie Danielle gets famous for her poor treatment by getting national sympathy. When she's not in the old folks home after that incident, she is away with her caretaker somewhere. I don't know. I think Tatie's cruelty is just too much for me or anyone.

Actually, I think you've missed the whole point of the movie. Although most of the film does portray a nasty old lady, the truth is that most of her family members are just a bunch of hypocrites and she simply can't stand people being nice to her simply because she's old. They do not respect her, they pretend that they do, but they don't. The movie is a veiled criticism to the hypocrisy of those family ties. I liked her character from the very first minute because she's honest in the sense that she knows very well that those around her simply can't stand her nor do they respect her will to live and be free. Highly recommended.

I don't speak French, but Tatie Danielle is one of my favorite films of all-time.Tsilla Chelton deserved every award given to a leading actress. I don't care who was nominated for what award in what country, this woman deserved them all. A true lesson in the art of screen acting. Bravo! She is surrounded by a wonderful cast: Catherine Jacob, Isabelle Nanty and a host of characters to make you laugh your socks off.The writing is superb and the direction is a delight. Musical score and cinematography that is top notch. I also agree with others who hope this classic is never remade. Viva Tatie Danielle!