Louis Malle being funny. Not a happy sight. Not altogether as miserable a sight as, for example, his Viva Maria or his Crackers, but still. It's set in the provincial splendor of Malle's own upbringing. The matriarch of a run-down wine estate has died unexpectedly, and the far-flung family gathers for the funeral: food is eaten (food is also catapulted by spoon across the dining table), wine is drunk, a joint is passed, passions stir, inhibitions loosen, tempers flare, and an inquisitive little girl keeps asking pesky questions like "Grandpa, what's sperm?" and "Grandpa, what's a dyke?" This comic portrait of the French bourgeoisie is framed in a context of Great Historical Significance, that of the student demonstrations and labor strikes of 1968. Sort of like the portrait in Rules of the Game in the corresponding context of pre-World War II. Very vaguely sort of. Deftly performed (especially by the British actress Harriet Walter, from Turtle Diary, and the ever-reliable Michel Piccoli), smoothly directed, attractively photographed — and for all that, a bit of a grind. (1990) — Duncan Shepherd
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