In LA GRAINE ET LE MULET (or Couscous), the French have a go at dysfunctional family drama.  The story concerns Slimane (Habib Boufares), a 60-plus ex-boat repairer who decides to use his severance pay to open a restaurant on a boat with the help of his family.  His ex-wife cooks the house speciality – the fish couscous while his children serve.  The restaurant start-up is aided by the daughter (Hafsia Herzi) of Slimane’s new lover.  Kechiche’s script offers lots of opportunity for family arguments, which he orchestrates well towards the climax.

LA GRAINE ET LE MULET won 4 Cesars including Best French Film.  Though different and engrossing, Kechiche’s style grows tiring after a while.  His scenes are all approximately the same length, all with a real time feel and most contain characters debating over a single issue while diverting to instruct how Kechiche wants his audience to feel or think of a subject.  But he shows both pros and cons of a debate.  While taking his time to tell his story (the first half hour of the film is used to introduce the family members), Kechiche enables his audience to feel the plight of the characters.  His film is without doubt full of drama.  The often used hand held camera gives the film a home movie documentary feel.

Kechiche is fond of close-ups.  The tears, laughter and grimaces of the characters can be observed a bit too much at times during the arguments that one wishes Kechiche would pull back his camera a little.

The climatic scene with Slimane hosting the boat restaurant’s grand opening is at odds with the atmosphere of the rest of the film.  The audience suddenly sees Slimane all fashionably dressed up with the restaurant running like a high class Spargo’s though Kechiche shows Slimane and the family’s naivety to the project (when attempting to obtain funding) earlier on.

LA GRAINE ET LE MULET is another film about dysfunctional families.  But unlike Hollywood arts-crafted rubbish like RACHEL GEETING MARRIED and MARGOT AT THE WEDDING, Kehiche’s film has down-to-earth emotions that audiences can relate to notwithstanding the film’s ethnicity.  One wonders too about the abrupt ending.  Perhaps it suggests that life goes on despite the family’s problems.