It becomes clear as the story begins, the family being studied is in turmoil. Nadine, a police woman, is preparing for work getting her gun out of a secure box. As she goes through the living room, she rouses her unkempt husband Roger from the sofa where he has been sleeping. Their son Laurent, who is preparing for school is offered a lift from his father, something he reluctantly accepts.
We realize Laurent does not want to be in school. He joins a gang of young toughs who are targeting a railroad yard where they are going to deface with their cans of paint. Roger has an idea his son is up to no good as he watches him leave the school. Meanwhile, Nadine, has a rough time as she and her partner come to the house of someone wanted, who shoots at them and could have killed either one. After the ordeal, on the way to the station, Nadine accepts her partner Alain's advances, seen also by Roger, who has followed her. As the three of them get home, Roger and Nadine fight, while in the other room Laurent sends a message that startle both parents.
This Belgian entry was intriguing in the way its director, Tylan Barman, conceived the story. One incident plays into the next one, in flashbacks that give way to the next part of the narrative. The film is slow, but it shows a family in crisis. Things have gone too far to have any chance of repair. Mr. Barman gets good results from his cast, notably the young Morgan Marinne as Laurent. Anne Coesens plays Nadine with conviction and Serge Riaboukine appears as Roger.
We realize Laurent does not want to be in school. He joins a gang of young toughs who are targeting a railroad yard where they are going to deface with their cans of paint. Roger has an idea his son is up to no good as he watches him leave the school. Meanwhile, Nadine, has a rough time as she and her partner come to the house of someone wanted, who shoots at them and could have killed either one. After the ordeal, on the way to the station, Nadine accepts her partner Alain's advances, seen also by Roger, who has followed her. As the three of them get home, Roger and Nadine fight, while in the other room Laurent sends a message that startle both parents.
This Belgian entry was intriguing in the way its director, Tylan Barman, conceived the story. One incident plays into the next one, in flashbacks that give way to the next part of the narrative. The film is slow, but it shows a family in crisis. Things have gone too far to have any chance of repair. Mr. Barman gets good results from his cast, notably the young Morgan Marinne as Laurent. Anne Coesens plays Nadine with conviction and Serge Riaboukine appears as Roger.