Belgian-born avant-garde filmmaker Chantal Akerman's farcical take on family relationships stars a pitch-perfect Sylvie Testud (LES MOTS BLEUS) as an endearingly uptight erotic novelist, Charlotte, who is by Akerman's own account her alter ego. When her father dies, Charlotte's... [More]

Belgian-born avant-garde filmmaker Chantal Akerman's farcical take on family relationships stars a pitch-perfect Sylvie Testud (LES MOTS BLEUS) as an endearingly uptight erotic novelist, Charlotte, who is by Akerman's own account her alter ego. When her father dies, Charlotte's mother Catherine (Aurore Clément, MARIE ANTOINETTE) shows up on the doorstep, and the two embark upon an awkward domestic partnership. Soon Charlotte's apartment is cluttered to the point of disaster, as Catherine, a music teacher, fills the place with her grand piano, her students, and her good-naturedly overbearing demeanor. Charlotte finds temporary peace in cafes, where she eavesdrops in search of fodder for her latest novel, but ultimately she decides that mother and daughter would be better off in a bigger apartment. The decision to move summons a veritable army of potential buyers, each more eccentric than the last, who parade through Charlotte's home in an ever-heightening onslaught against the peace she needs to nurture her creativity. Testud's quirky, lovable character and Akerman's brilliantly unclassifiable script, full of wit and unexpected twists, make this an intelligent comedy about the serious matters of family, displacement, and the difficulties of creative production. [Less]