Review by
Sue Finn
Directed by: Jacques Molitor
Starring: Louise Manteau, Victor Dieu, Marja-Leena Junker, Jules Werner
Elaine's 10-year-old son Martin is attacking kids at his school and the
school has had enough. As a single parent, Elaine (Louise Manteau)
has to now stay home from her demanding chef job to take care of Martin
(Victor Dieu) after he is suspended. Martin is a little… bitey, and
so unsurprisingly has no real friends apart from his doting mother.
After a disastrous birthday party that ends in blood and hospital visits,
Elaine decides it's time Martin met his estranged paternal grandparents.
When mother and son arrive at their palatial domicile, it is revealed that
the gobsmacked grandparents did not know Martin existed. They accept the
visitors into their home and begin the bonding with tales of what a
wonderful hunter Martin's long dead father Patrick was, and shaming Elaine
for not following their patriarchal "traditions."
Grandfather Urwald (Marco Lorenzini) takes Martin under his wing
and against the boy's mother's wishes, takes him to church and hunting –
which he greatly enjoys; and while Martin blossoms under the old-fashioned
patriarchal traditions, his mother struggles to adhere to the strict
rules.
After a troubling incident with Martin's boorish Uncle Jean (Jules Werner), Elaine takes them both and returns home.
However, it's there that Martin just grows worse - aggressive, more prone
to bite his mother this time, demanding meat pies, growing excess hair and
long teeth.
It appears his growing pains are of the lupine kind, and before you know
it mum needs to haul ass back to the in-laws for some more specialised
help.
Unfortunately, the Urwald homestead, while better for Martin, is worse for
mum; and Elaine has to face the fact that perhaps the inheritance her son
has earned is less of the monetary kind and more of the animalistic type.
As directed by Jacques Molitor, this is a confident and assured
effort. The cinematography is almost dreamlike in some scenes (which
somehow suited its Luxembourg setting). The editing shows a certain skill
at expressing Elaine's whiplash new life. The script has some holes that I
would have liked to be filled, and it vacillates between horror and family
drama in a way that makes me feel this wouldn't necessarily appeal to a
regular audience.
This is too blood-thirsty for your average moviegoer but doesn't contain
enough horror for a horror fan.
Nonetheless I can't fault the acting, which gifts us with a wholly
believable turn from Manteau, and true menace from Werner. Even young Dieu
does a commendable job as the troubled and angsty Martin.
The only real criticism that I have is of the ending, which felt rushed,
particularly in comparison with the languorous tone of the rest of the
film. I would have liked to have seen the ending match the pace set in the
first three-quarters of the movie.
I also wish this had a slightly tighter storyline (more about the family
legacy and lore etc) and a bit more time spent on how Elaine felt about
the changes in her life, but it's still an enjoyable film experience, and
it is nice to see original content, particularly in the well-worn werewolf
horror sub-genre.
Fun for the whole family – if your family is like the Urwalds, that is.
