Ma Saison Preferee (aka My Favorite Season) (1993)

Set in Southwest France, a brother (Daniel Auteuil) and sister (Catherine Deneuve) renew their tenuous relationship after their mother (Marthe Villalonga) suffers a stroke. Co-written and directed by Andre Techine (LES VOLEURS). Although very well acted and directed, I found Techine's film about a dysfunctional family creepy. Certainly it's possible (and it's been done) to make a film with screwed up characters at its center and still relate to their problems but Techine isn't able to make that connection. But Deneuve's adrift wife, Auteuil's self centered doctor, Villalonga's ornery mother deserve each other. As Deneuve's daughter (Chiara Mastroianni) states in the film, that side of the family is dangerous and she doesn't want to have anything to do with them and I couldn't agree more. My opinion isn't share because the film was a big hit in France where it received 7 Cesar (the French Oscar) nominations and both French and American critics gave it their approval. Still, there's no denying it has a certain power. With Jean Pierre Bouvier, Anthony Prada and Carmen Chaplin (Charlie's granddaughter).