In the film’s opening scene, Antoine Besson (Denis Ménochet) and his lawyer are at a hearing to seek joint custody of Julien. His soon-to-be-ex-wife, Miriam (Léa Drucker) strongly objects to this request, citing Antoine’s history of violence against her and their older daughter Joséphine (Mathilde Auneveux). Joséphine wants nothing to do with her father, and since she is of age, Antoine cannot influence her decisions. Julien is another story altogether—he cannot legally make an adult decision—though he does express through a letter that he also wants nothing to do with Antoine.
Legrand shoots this sequence in a documentary-like fashion, moving back and forth between Miriam and Antoine while spoken legalese flies through the air. As their court-appointed arbitrator sizes up both sides of the equation, so does the camera, though it’s far too early for the film to tip its hand, Instead, Legrand lets the scene play out far longer than one anticipates, raising doubt all around. Is Antoine really violent, or is he just an exasperated father who’s correct in his accusation that his wife has turned his children against him? Is this going to evolve into “Kramer vs. Kramer” or something more sinister? Even when Miriam’s lawyer presents evidence of an injury Joséphine suffered because of Antoine, we’re not sure whether his far less damning explanation isn’t credible.
Once Antoine wins partial custody, however, we start to realize that he is not the concerned father he appeared to be. He is a monster, though not the one-dimensional kind that often fills the villainous role. Antoine is a man in pain about his impending divorce, and while that’s by no means a forgivable excuse, it adds a bit of uncomfortable complexity. Ménochet towers over his fellow actors, and even when seemingly calm, Antoine sucks all the oxygen out of a room when he enters. Legrand’s camera follows suit, squeezing Antoine and Julien into confined spaces like cars, constricting the frame until we feel as trapped as his characters do.
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