I am so hard to please when it comes to foreign language films. Years ago, I was terrible and wouldnt even bother with a film that wasnt in English/American but with an afternoon spent watching some amazing films such as The Bicycle Thief and Bullet In The Head, I quickly realised that just because a film was made in a non-English speaking country that it could still be a wonderful film. That was many years ago and since that time, I have seen dozens and dozens of films from all over the world.

One of the more impressive countries that has always managed to create excellent films and I am sure Stuart Miller from The Monday Movie Show would agree. Is France.

So yesterday morning, Annette and I sat down to watch the latest film released by Verve Pictures. “You Will Be My Son”

At the very start of the film there are several lines of dialogue that gave me concern. Now I know ZERO about wine, and certainly havent even set foot on a vineyard. So when the two main characters started talking about vines, bottling, this year and that year being the best. I really did think I was going to struggle with this film due to my lack of grape knowledge. I was wrong. The real storyline of the film soon takes over and the wine world fades to where it needs to. A location, a premise and a plot point.

Paul de Marseul,(wonderfully played by Niels Arestrup) a prestigious wine-maker and owner of a renowned chateau and vineyard in Saint-Émilion,France, is totally disheartened by the notion of his son Martin (Lorànt Deutsch) taking over the family business. This relationship is the core of the film and it is both a pleasure and a frustration to see these two characters in habit the same room. Martin is a good hearted man whilst Paul, his Father treats him with contempt and belittles him at every chance.

There is more to this film with the plot carrying on at a wonderful but also a relaxed pace giving you everything you need to follow the film all the way to its final credits.

The film is beautifully directed by Gilles Legrand and the cinematography easily makes you want to move to France and live and work on a vineyard (although not one owned by Paul)

Whilst the film was released and shot in 2011, “You Will Be My Son” has the look of the classic films of the 1940s and 50s. I think you could turn your settings to Black and White and easily convince someone this film was a French Classic (other than when a mobile phone was used on screen of course)

It is films such as “You Will Be My Son” that remind me, I need to watch more foreign language films. It is films like this one that remind me that I need to remind YOU to watch more foreign language films. There are so many hidden gems out there in the world cinema which need to be seen and talked about, and shared.

“You Will Be My Son” is one of them.

Here is the Official IMDB page for the film

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754795/?ref_=sr_1

Also for your viewing. Here is the trailer.