'Summer Hours' (otherwise known as L'Heure D'ete) is the story of three siblings who must decide what to do with the family house and most of the property in it after their mother passes away. The movie begins with the siblings (Frederic, Adrienne and Jeremie) visiting their mother Helene at the mother's home. Adrienne is now living in the US with a boyfriend and Jeremie has just gotten a promotion in China where he lives with his wife and children. Frederic is the only sibling who still lives in France and is an economist who has just written a controversial book disparaging his own profession.
We find out in an overly long Act I that Helene was a champion of a famous artist who happened to be her uncle. It's not clear whether Helene was intimately involved with the uncle but apparently favored him over her husband. She has kept some of his art work, sketch books and other items he purchased while he was alive and now orders Frederic to sell everything including the house.
After Helene dies, Frederic wants to keep the house and all the heirlooms but is overruled by Adrienne and Jeremie. Frederic finally gives in, the house is put up for sale and a good deal of the artwork and furniture is bequeathed to the Musee D'Orsay (museum). There is a subplot toward the end where Frederic's teenage daughter is almost arrested for shoplifting and drug possession but a kindly police officer only lets her off with a warning. The film ends with the daughter holding a party with her teenage friends just before the house is sold to new owners.
The film's strength lies in very strong portraits of the three siblings and their mother. We find out quite a bit about their careers as well as how they interact with their respective spouses. The dialogue can best be described as both mature and sharp. Particularly impressive are the scenes where the siblings cope with the death of their mother. Frederic is perhaps most affected by his mother's death—there's a strong scene where he stops his car and is overcome with emotion—unable to stifle the tears due to his mother's sudden passing.
The film's weakness involves the plot. Up until the midpoint of the film we're absorbed in the conflict between Frederic and his two siblings over the disposition of the property. When that issue is resolved (Frederic cannot counter his siblings' need for money), the story feels like it has ended. There is a very long-winded section where we learn about the mechanics of bequeathing artwork to a museum but all of this feels like a footnote to the main conflict which has come to an end.
The point is made that when a person comes to the end of their life, all their possessions which might have had so much meaning to them, no longer matters to the next generation. It's a point that needs to be made but not drawn out as it was done here. What's lost is the conflict between the characters; instead in its place we're given more of a lecture on art history and restoration akin to a Discovery Channel documentary.
Summer Hours has no dark moment for the protagonist unless you call Frederic's daughter's near-arrest a moment of crisis. There is also no real antagonist left at the film's climax to create tension in the storyline. In a sense, the passage of time is the antagonist. The ending is supposed to be wistful—a bunch of teenagers party at the family home completely oblivious to the rich memories and traditions the house evokes.
Despite the weakness of its story which peters out in the second half, Summer Hours has some great characters and dialogue. The film is worth seeing due to the maturity of the subject matter and superb acting on the part of the cast.
We find out in an overly long Act I that Helene was a champion of a famous artist who happened to be her uncle. It's not clear whether Helene was intimately involved with the uncle but apparently favored him over her husband. She has kept some of his art work, sketch books and other items he purchased while he was alive and now orders Frederic to sell everything including the house.
After Helene dies, Frederic wants to keep the house and all the heirlooms but is overruled by Adrienne and Jeremie. Frederic finally gives in, the house is put up for sale and a good deal of the artwork and furniture is bequeathed to the Musee D'Orsay (museum). There is a subplot toward the end where Frederic's teenage daughter is almost arrested for shoplifting and drug possession but a kindly police officer only lets her off with a warning. The film ends with the daughter holding a party with her teenage friends just before the house is sold to new owners.
The film's strength lies in very strong portraits of the three siblings and their mother. We find out quite a bit about their careers as well as how they interact with their respective spouses. The dialogue can best be described as both mature and sharp. Particularly impressive are the scenes where the siblings cope with the death of their mother. Frederic is perhaps most affected by his mother's death—there's a strong scene where he stops his car and is overcome with emotion—unable to stifle the tears due to his mother's sudden passing.
The film's weakness involves the plot. Up until the midpoint of the film we're absorbed in the conflict between Frederic and his two siblings over the disposition of the property. When that issue is resolved (Frederic cannot counter his siblings' need for money), the story feels like it has ended. There is a very long-winded section where we learn about the mechanics of bequeathing artwork to a museum but all of this feels like a footnote to the main conflict which has come to an end.
The point is made that when a person comes to the end of their life, all their possessions which might have had so much meaning to them, no longer matters to the next generation. It's a point that needs to be made but not drawn out as it was done here. What's lost is the conflict between the characters; instead in its place we're given more of a lecture on art history and restoration akin to a Discovery Channel documentary.
Summer Hours has no dark moment for the protagonist unless you call Frederic's daughter's near-arrest a moment of crisis. There is also no real antagonist left at the film's climax to create tension in the storyline. In a sense, the passage of time is the antagonist. The ending is supposed to be wistful—a bunch of teenagers party at the family home completely oblivious to the rich memories and traditions the house evokes.
Despite the weakness of its story which peters out in the second half, Summer Hours has some great characters and dialogue. The film is worth seeing due to the maturity of the subject matter and superb acting on the part of the cast.