What it’s about
Jean-Luc (Berling) is a cosmetic surgeon who lives a seemingly ideal life in Versailles, with a beautiful young wife, Isa (Régnier), and burgeoning practice. Then, unexpectedly, Jean-Luc's father Maurice (Bouquet) — also a respected doctor who'd abandoned his family years before to practice medicine in remotest Africa — unexpectedly re-enters his son's ordered world, turning a comfortable existence upside down.
Why we love it
Fontaine's “My Father and I” is the kind of dense, subtle psychological drama you rarely see anymore, seeding the fertile territory of father-and-son relations with a layer of intriguing mystery. Jean-Luc's simmering resentment toward his prodigal dad is barely contained, but he still allows him to stay, a decision that leads to a series of life-altering revelations and upheavals. Berling excels as Jean-Luc, but it's veteran Bouquet who steals the film with his expertly shaded portrayal of Maurice.