Father of My Children

Mia Hansen-Løve is a wonderful director. She directs her actors and actresses so wonderfully, that performances are elevated all around, and each of them performs close to the vision of the director. The way that everything falls into place in the way its supposed to by Hansen-Løve's standards are wonderful to behold. Her story to tell in FATHER OF MY CHILDREN is of a film producer whose life is supposedly going well. It is, however, not, and we see a heartbreakingly realistic decline. Then, the second half of Hansen-Løve's film deals with the repercussions of actions we commit in our own lives. The entire second half is great for two reasons. 1) That it exhibits grief with intelligence and ease on the part of the director and 2) that it shows how our lives do not belong to us, and that our actions can define the lives of others. As Hansen-Løve shows the myriad troubles of the film producer, she also shows how everything he does affects everyone else like a rippling wave. The film is, however, a little slow, and lingers too long on certain actions. This fault is also to the film's realistic feel, and I for one admire FATHER OF MY CHILDREN more than I like it. It is clear that Mia Hansen-Løve is an excellent director, but perhaps FATHER OF MY CHILDREN was not my specific cup of tea. It's still a good film in my conflicted opinion.
Father of My Children: ★★★