Rent Our Children (2012)
3.4 of 5 from 97 ratings
1h 54min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Young and effervescent Murielle (Emilie Dequenne) has a promising future ahead of her when she falls in love with Mounir (Tahar Rahim). A wedding soon follows, and the happy couple quickly set about preparing to make a family. However, with family come ties, and none come as tight as that between Mounir and his adoptive father (Niels Arestrup). As Murielle brings new life into the family, in the form of four children, frictions between Mounir and Doctor Pinget reach boiling point. Helpless to extract her husband and children from the wealthy nest that Doctor Pinget has provided for them, Murielle is drawn into an unhealthy family dynamic. Within this oppressive environment, Murielle becomes trapped and all sense of reasoning begins to abandon her. - Actors:
- Émilie Dequenne, Claire Bodson, Niels Arestrup, Tahar Rahim, Jean-Charles Hautera, Stéphane Bissot, Daniel Feis, Baya Belal, Mounia Raoui, Redouane Behache, Joé Michels, Eléa Gillard, Charlie Hoscheck, Lisa Murcia, Gabin Lard, Katrina Anna Scrito Gauci, Juliette Monot, Yannick Renier, Ambre Milesa, Jade Stambouli
- Directors:
- Joachim Lafosse
- Producers:
- Jacques-Henri Bronckart, Olivier Bronckart
- Writers:
- Matthieu Reynaert, Thomas Bidegain
- Aka:
- A Perdre La Raison
- Studio:
- Saffron Hill Films
- Genres:
- Drama
- Countries:
- Belgium
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 28/10/2013
- Run Time:
- 114 minutes
- Languages:
- French DTS 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Interview with Joachim Lafosse
- Avant Les Mots: 30 Min short film by Joachim Lafosse
- Private Madness: 1 hr film by Joachim Lafosse
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Reviews (1) of Our Children
Wow! - Our Children review by BE
What a very clever film. A bleak tale told with the characters portrayed by exceptional and seamless acting. It stays with you. Although the opening scenes give an indication of things to come, as the film rolled, I forgot about this until the end. Full credit also to the director, Joachim Lafosse. A rare occasion for me - I shall watch it again in the near future.
0 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
Our Children (aka A Perdre La Raison) review by George Hooper - Cinema Paradiso
The idea that someone's life can be taken from them even if they have the freedom and rights to do anything they want is an unconventional one, and one hardly seen on film but Our Children depicts the slow and unintentional corruption of a life and it proves truly shocking.
The film follows the relationship between Murielle (Emilie Dequenne) and Mounir (Tahar Rahim). As the two start to build a life together they feel the constant presence of Mounir’s adoptive father Andre (Niels Arestrup), one that begins to take its toll on Murielle who starts losing herself as Andre begins to take more and more away from her. However when the couple start a family, Andre begins to take a much more active role in their lives, something that could cause unintentional destruction.
Directed by Joachim Lafosse, Our Children is all about pride, the pride that can force someone to do horrible things for the sake of saving face. Although the film doesn’t really have a villain, the life that Murielle and Mounir create with their children and Andre is so toxic that you can’t help but blame everyone to some extent. The films conclusion, a mixture of horrifying suspense and devastating realization, is almost inevitable as Murielle starts to lose her freedom under a mess of foreign traditions, child rearing and walking around on eggshells to appease Andre.
Filled with plenty of rich psychological elements, Our Children is filled with plenty of impressive performances and clever allusions but it never really surprises as the film opens with an unfortunate flashforward that mutes the film’s story. Dequenne and Rahim are excellent and the film creates some delightful ambiguities to play with at the end but it never really grips the way through as the tale is more than hinted at in the opening moments, essentially removing the terror from a terrifying tale.