I don’t know what else brought me to the cinema for this French-Belgian film by Régis Roinsard, if not for Roman Duris and Virginie Efira. I had never heard of the 2016 novel by Olivier Bourdeaut that it’s based on.

Premise: A young boy, Gary, lives with his eccentric parents and an exotic bird in a Parisian apartment. And each night, Gary’s parents Camille and Georges dance lovingly to their favorite song, Mr. Bojangles. There is only room for fun, fantasy, and friends at home. But as his mesmerizing and unpredictable mother descends deeper into her mind, it is up to Gary and his father to keep her safe.

Review: This is probably not a movie that I wouldn’t want to see again but one that I’m really glad I watched. I saw this in the cinema and the experience was different. This movie is romantic, silly, and fun until it’s not. It focuses on the dynamic of this one family and the relationships in it. The husband and his wife, the mother with her son, and the father with his son in the midst of a creeping tragedy that’s really heartbreaking.

It’s the “beautiful” unraveling of a seemingly carefree family. The acting is remarkable, Virginie Efira really shines in this role, The locations and cinematography are great, and I’m going to stop now. I don’t want to give too much away because I went into this blind and I think it helped to get into this film. It packs a punch.

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