Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Lack of good storyline.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

'The Father Of My Children' tells the story of the family of a film producer who comes under financial stress. Plot-wise, the film surprises when the expected ending occurs half-way through; we thus get to also see the aftermath. There's nothing wrong with this per se, although it means we really have two stories in one, and the overall narrative arc is thus slightly broken. But I don't think this is the only reason this film seems strangely devoid of dramatic tension. Even though there are some fairly notable developments, nothing really seems to upset the serenity of its affluent characters. At one point, there's a power cut and the lights go off; after a few minutes, they come back on again, and in some ways, that's how the whole film feels: stuff happens, but the consequences always seem not to actually matter that much. I normally like understated films; but this one, although nicely put together, feels underplayed, and therefore, just a little uninteresting.

This film gave me the kind of experience I hope for when watching French movies: A character driven, intimate story, which so involved me that I feel as if I'd been away on a trip to France. The performances were authentic & lean. The scenery, both interior shots of apartments & buildings, as well as exterior shots of street life, made me feel as if I was in Paris. I was engrossed as to how the characters reacted to the heavy subject matter & how the story line progressed. The film has great depth without feeling heavy.A reviewer here on IMDb commented about how they didn't like the scenes which were not driving the story line, but for me, that's what I love about (some) French Cinema: a character walks from point A to point B or a character orders coffee while awaiting an important appointment. These connecting scenes are the stuff of real life & enable the viewer to identify with the character. Everyone experiences those mundane moments & knows what it feels like.Except for the main character Gregoire, I did not judge the reactions of the other characters: I simply observed their reactions to the serious events that befell them.The final scene was darkly humorous: Doris Day sings "Que Sera, Sera" as the characters flee Paris, leaving behind the life they had loved.

In response to previous reviews, commenting on this movie's failure to live up to its so- called "roller-coaster of emotions" hype, I agree. Happily. This movie is not an edge of your seat, thrill at every corner, emotion jerker- and that's what makes it superb. Hansen- Løve binds this movie to a sense of realism which i find translates perfectly to its audience, and relates to its audience. The movie illustrates Grégoire's progression towards suicide, and the life for the family he leaves behind, in a non- appeasing, human way. Grégoire's story may not provide the audience with explanations, excuses or a nice dramatic lead up to his death. Scene by scene, the audience is given mixed messages from Grégoire, leading us to feel unprepared for his sudden death. But that is suicide, in its realest form. And Hansen- Løve has successfully translated this feeling from the Canvel family to the audience. In justification of the so called "pointless" scenes, a scene sampling the relationship between the elder daughter and the writer boy who met with Grégoire, or another sampling the elder daughters pursuance of her half brother, is completely adequate. The daughter is rebuilding her life after Grégoire's death, which cannot be shown to us in a detailed, flowing, coherent way- because that is not the way she is living it. The broken, inconsistent scenes of the elder daughter's, the younger daughters' and the wife's lives, are shown to the audience in the same way they are lived by the characters.The scenes prior to Grégoire's death, however, construct a solid image of the emotional bond and unity of the 5 members of the Canvel family- scenes such as a giggling Valentine being discovered by Grégoire, hiding in his bed, or Billie floating alone in the pool of water, being watched over by her mother. I think in order to profit from this movie, the audience's expectations should be shifted from a "rollercoaster ride of emotions" kind of movie- complete with drama, coherence, and a relevant, easy to follow plot- to that of a sincere expression of life as it is, and how it continues- captured on film. In this respect, it is superb.

This film has been well reviewed, described as a 'roller-coaster' and emotional, so I was prepared for something quite heavy. However some 30 minutes in, nothing much had happened. The film centers around Gregoire a husband, father and workaholic who runs a film production company that is facing massive financial issues. In between continuous phone calls and business meetings, Gregoire spends time with his family, at their apartment or at the house in the country. The family seem very close and content, but away from this Gregoire is in crisis mode.The start of the film plays outs very slowly, but there is a sense that something tragic will happen. Of course it does, but the effect is less than I would expect. Gregoire's death devastates those around him and his wife is left to pick up the pieces. What should be an emotional, er, roller-coaster fails to engage on an emotional level because while we see Gregoire is up against life, there is no indication that life is so bad that suicide is the answer. There is also no shock element to his death, Gregoire burns some papers then walks along and shoots himself and it all seemed unrealistic.The film also struggles as there is an immense array of pointless scenes: the elder daughter sitting in a cafe ordering a coffee, the family walking around a church in Italy. All of these scenes add nothing except to drag out the story which after the death introduces a secret child and a friendship between the elder daughter and a young man who was to work with her fathers company. Neither of these stories are explored in any detail and so add nothing to the film either.It's a shame that for me the film didn't engage. There are some nice performances, especially from the daughters and the scenes of the family are actually quite endearing. What a loss then that a potentially interesting and emotional story set inside the world of film making is nothing but slow and a little boring.More of my reviews at iheartfilms.weebly.com