The French director Olivier Assayas is known for his rigorous and intelligent style of filmmaking. He may not be everyone's cup of tea and i have disliked some of his movies specially his earlier ones.
"Summer hours" - in french "L'heure d'ete" is his latest production released in France one year ago. An intimate family portrait if treated with sensitivity and in-depth can produce an enriching cinematic experience. Yasujiro Ozu mastered this theme and it is not surprising to note Assayas being the most Asian influenced of French directors. He is subtle in his treatment of a story and can sometimes be too ambiguous.
Fortunately "Summer hours" is more viewer-friendly than some of his earlier works. A film about the passing of times may not attract much attention and i know some viewers expressed disappointment as to the lack of expected action present in majority of movies. This is a different kind of cinema; a delicate way of telling the story of three siblings facing the death of their mother and the sensitive decisions they have to make with the question of inheritence. Several scenes about valuable objects and paintings are filmed as a documentary to provide a realistic approach. I checked the internet and didn't find any famous french painter named Paul Berthier.
Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling and Jeremie Renier are playing the siblings. Living abroad has become a life choice for two of the three siblings. This typical middle class french family will soon have heir in America and China. This film could have been called "Changing times". I liked the idea of starting and ending the movie with the young generation of teenagers and childrens. It is a distinctive allusion of the continuation of life despite certain alterations that come naturally.

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