Verstehen Sie die Béliers? (La Famille Bélier)
France/Belgium 2014

Opening 5 Mar 2015

Directed by: Eric Lartigau
Writing credits: Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain, Stanislas Carré de Malberg, Eric Lartigau
Principal actors: Karin Viard, François Damiens, Eric Elmosnino, Louane Emera, Roxane Duran

In this ‘feel-good comedy,’ Paula (Louane Emera) makes it look easy, but for a teenager she has some load to shoulder! Parents (Karin Viard, François Damien) and brother (Luca Gelberg) are deaf-mute. This doesn’t mean the Bélier-household is as quiet as one might think! To our amusement there is no lack of temperament, passion, humor and ambition in this tumultuous household! It’s up to Paula to translate to the hearing and conduct all business at hand: working the family farm, selling cheese on the farmers market, negotiate with banks, arranging for doctor’s visits and knowing more about her parents sex-life then a teenager might desire to. Her father could forget running a mayoral campaign in their small village without her. Naturally she also has to stay awake at school.

Because of a crush on her classmate Gabriel, Paula joins the school choir. Her teacher (Éric Elmosnino) discovers her exceptional voice and encourages her to practice for an audition at a prestigious music school. She keeps this from her family, but once it is revealed, there seems not much love left between them. Their ‘baby’ not only wants to flee the nest, but they might lose her to a world not accessible to them.

Though mostly entertaining, too many diversions make the film a little lengthy, and Mrs. Bélier’s quirkiness – at first hilarious – turns irritating. (Carola A)