Sexual Chronicles of a French Family
2012 · Directed by Jean-Marc Barr, Pascal Arnold
Original language: French
- comedy
- drama
- romance
The story
Three generations of a French family open up about their sexual experiences and desires after young Romain is caught masturbating in his biology class.
What it’s like
Frank, chatty and sun-warmed, with the feel of a domestic comedy that keeps turning toward its characters' bodies and secrets. The look leans on ordinary French family spaces: kitchens, bedrooms and school corridors shot in plain daylight, with the warmth and intimacy of people sitting too close at a table. The pacing is conversational, built from scenes where three generations talk candidly and awkwardly, with pauses for embarrassment and sudden bursts of laughter. The score, where present, stays light and unobtrusive, so the dialogue carries the mood. Emotionally it moves between teasing comedy and quieter drama about desire, frustration, first experiences and the strained, affectionate bonds between parents, children and grandparents. Its arcs follow family members slowly becoming more open with one another. Intensity: sexual content, nudity and explicit talk about sex throughout; no violence and no real menace, but the frankness is the point, so it will not suit anyone wanting a gentle or non-sexual watch. Best for adults who want a bold, talky, irreverent comedy about sex and family, watched with a relaxed, unshockable mood.
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