Our Loved Ones

“Montreal-based filmmaker Anne Emond amply fulfills the promise of her first feature, the sexually charged two-hander “Nuit #1,” with “Our Loved Ones,” a more densely populated but equally arresting and even more emotionally potent film about a Quebecois family forced to cope with the stealthy legacy of its patriarch. The pitch-perfect performances and graceful storytelling  realistically yet sympathetically deal with the film' subject matter.

“After the paterfamilias of the Leblanc family hangs himself, for reasons only gradually revealed as the narrative progresses, David, the eldest of his five children, carries on the family business of constructing and selling marionettes. For years, he lives what appears to be an idyllic life. All seems to be going well until David is backhanded by the past: He learns, years after the fact, that his father did not die of a heart attack, but committed suicide due to his chronic depression. Why was he shielded from the truth? Because, David is told, he was considered too “sensitive” to deal with such painful knowledge.

“Right from the start, Emond unfolds her story in a teasingly elliptical fashion, often skipping over years between scenes and hinting at, rather than emphasizing, major developments. At first, this fast-forward approach is mildly amusing, but as “Our Loved Ones” continues and the audience gets on Emond’s wavelength, it becomes clear that, even as the pace deaccelerates, the filmmaker is focused on essentials in each new scene, and every revelation is bound to have a payoff.

“Sure enough, shortly after the “sensitive” element is introduced, David becomes progressively less affable, to the point where each smile appears to be merely a fleeting victory over melancholy. Family ties are strained. “Our Loved Ones” is by no means an incessantly somber piece of work. The cast is exceptional across the board.” - Variety