Jessica highlights the brilliant use of the garden as a metaphor throughout the film, symbolizing the need to address what lies beneath the surface before one can truly grow. The discussion turns to the powerful poisoned mushroom incident, which serves as a stark reminder of how toxic elements from the past can resurface, threatening everything one has built. The dynamic between Michelle and her daughter Valerie, portrayed with striking complexity by Ludivine Seigne, illustrates the film's exploration of second chances and the emotional prisons we can create for ourselves.
Listeners will appreciate director Francois Ozan's patient storytelling, allowing relationships to develop before delivering impactful revelations. The cinematography by Jerome Almeras beautifully captures the Burgundy region, enhancing the film's atmosphere of suspense and secrecy. Chris and Jessica discuss the film's nuanced take on judgment and redemption, questioning whether some actions are truly unforgivable while acknowledging the moral ambiguity present in every character.
With a commendable rating of 8 out of 10, *When Fall Is Coming* is an atmospheric and richly rewarding film that lingers in the mind, prompting reflections on forgiveness and the complexities of family dynamics. Join Chris and Jessica as they dissect this compelling drama that teaches us that while we may attempt to bury our secrets, they often grow into something far more significant than we could ever anticipate.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Chris: Family secrets have a way of surfacing at the
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 most unexpected times. And that's exactly
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 what makes this new French film, When Fall Is
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 Coming, so captivating. It shows how our
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 past actions can haunt us like autumn
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 leaves that refuse to fall.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:17 Jessica: That's such an interesting way to look at it.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 The way this film handles family dynamics
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 reminds me of how Ingmar Bergman approached
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 similar themes in his work. This slow
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 unraveling of relationships that reveals
00:00:27 --> 00:00:28 deeper truths.
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 Chris: You know what's fascinating about Michelle's
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 character? Here's this grandmother who seems
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 to have it all figured out. She's given her
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 Paris apartment to her daughter. She's living
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 this idyllic life in the French countryside.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 But there's this undercurrent of, uh,
00:00:44 --> 00:00:45 something not quite right.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 Jessica: And the way Helen Vincent plays her is so
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 nuanced. Every gentle gesture in her
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 garden seems to be hiding something deeper.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 Chris: Speaking of the garden, it's brilliant how
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 director Francois Ozan uses it as this
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 metaphor throughout the film. Like, you can't
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 just plant something and expect it to grow
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 perfectly without dealing with what's already
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 in the soil. Right. Just like you can't move
00:01:08 --> 00:01:09 forward without addressing your past.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 Jessica: Well, that's exactly what makes the poisoned
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 mushroom incident so powerful. It's like this
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 perfect symbol of how something toxic from
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 the past can suddenly emerge and destroy
00:01:19 --> 00:01:20 everything you've built.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 Chris: And the way the film handles the relationship
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 between Michelle and her daughter Valerie.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 Oh, man. Ludivine Seigne brings such
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 complexity to that role. Here's a woman going
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 through a divorce, fighting for custody,
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 and yet her hostility toward her mother seems
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 to go way beyond normal family tension.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:40 Jessica: That makes me think about how the film
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 explores different kinds of second chances.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 You've got Vincent, who's literally been in
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 prison, and then you've got these emotional
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 prisoners like Michelle and Valerie, trapped
00:01:50 --> 00:01:51 by their past.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 Chris: You know what's really clever about Ozan's
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 direction? The way he takes this full hour
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 to build up these relationships before he
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 pulls the rug out from under us. It's like
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 he's teaching us the same patience that
00:02:04 --> 00:02:05 Michelle shows in her garden.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 Jessica: The cinematography really adds to that
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 feeling of suspense, doesn't it? The way
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 Jerome Almeras captures the Burgundy region.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 All those misty mornings and golden
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 afternoons. It's like the landscape itself is
00:02:19 --> 00:02:20 keeping secrets.
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 Chris: Absolutely right. And, um, the way
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 the film uses autumn as both setting and
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 metaphor is just masterful. It's this time of
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 harvest, but also of decay, which perfectly
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 mirrors how these family secrets are finally
00:02:33 --> 00:02:34 coming to light.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 Jessica: So what do you think about how the film
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 handles the idea of judgment. It
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 seems to suggest that everyone deserves a
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 second chance. But then it also shows how
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 some actions might be unforgivable.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 Chris: That's such a crucial point. Like, Michelle
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 clearly believes in redemption, which we see
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 in how she helps Vincent. But the film keeps
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 asking us whether some bridges once burned,
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 can ever really be rebuilt. And what's
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 fascinating is how it refuses to give us
00:03:02 --> 00:03:03 easy answers.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 Jessica: Well, the performances really sell that moral
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 ambiguity. Even the smaller roles like
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 Garlin Aerlos as Lucas add to this sense
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 that everyone's carrying around their own
00:03:13 --> 00:03:14 version of the truth.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 Chris: And that's really what makes this film so
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 powerful. It's not just about whether we can
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 escape our past. It's about how our
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 secrets shape every relationship we have.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 The way it's scored an 8 out of 10 feels
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 right because it's the kind of film that
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 stays with you, making you question your own
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 judgments and assumptions.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 Jessica: That's why I think it works on so many levels
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 as a family drama, as a psychological
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 thriller, and as this deeper meditation on
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 forgiveness and redemption.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 Chris: You know, in the end, it's like what
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 Michelle's garden teaches us. You can't just
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 bury things and expect them to disappear.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 Sometimes they grow into something beautiful
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 and sometimes, well, sometimes they
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 turn out to be poisonous mushrooms that
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 threaten to destroy everything you've built.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 When Fall's Coming is an atmospheric and
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 richly rewarding film with a fine attention
00:04:07 --> 00:04:08 to detail.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first
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00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 Chris: Has been another quality podcast production
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