The Student and Mr Henri [DVD]

A somewhat sad ending. But other than that entertaining. Mr Henri, an old man wants to break up his straight laced son's marriage, by getting his new student tenant to "seduce" him, to show him what he is missing. In return the rent will be "manageable" .In one sense it's the old man himself who gets seduced, not in the physical sense, but as a mentor. An unlikely friendship ensues. He encourages his protege to fulfill her talents.Mr Henri 's plan regarding his son succeeds, just not as he intended. All lathered up with desire for the student, his son performs with his wife as never before (as he himself tells the student), and rejoice, he's about to become a dad. Obviously Mr Henri is far from happy, but there's nothing he can do about it.Whilst the student is away performing Mr. Henri passes away. The student failed to achieve her dreams, but there's always hope as long as there is tomorrow. Something Mr Henri taught her.

Great story of an unlikely pair. Unsure, dreamy directionless young woman wasting her life rents a room from cantankerous, bitter, retired widower, sarcastic, plain speaking man. They can't stand each other. But she needs the room.And he needs the company as he has alienated his family.The story unfolds and explains how each of the pair came to this moment, and how they start to understand each other, and secretly start to help each other. I wont say more, and the film is funny, and very poignant.French cinema seems to do these lyrical staries about people so well. There are no car chases; no CGI; no guns ablazing; no nudity; no gutter talk...just a great ,human, story well told and very satisfying.

On one level “The Student and Mister Henri” is a charming and somewhat predictable light hearted drama about a student and someone new in the student's life – Monsieur Henri, but on a deeper level, the personas of the two main characters are revealed as the film plays out – Monsieur Henri Voizot played by Claude Brasseur (Bande à Part) and Constance Piponnier played by Noémie Schmid.Adapted from an earlier play from the director, I didn't find this film to be anywhere neer as good as one of van Calbérac's earlier films – his 2009 film “Alternate Weeks (and Half the Vacation) ”, but it was stilll very enjoyable, as performances are excellent and like in Alternative Weeks, there's good music in the film – from London Grammar and Johann Sebastian Back amongst others. There's also a some familiar faces in the supporting cast. I couldn't figure out what I'd seen Constance's father in, but having now looked at the cast on IMDb I see that he was Lapidus - Le Maire in “La Famille Bélier”.No cool dancing from Claude Brasseur, but still definitely worth a watch, and I will now be looking out for more films with Noémie Schmid in the cast.On the DVD (ASIN: B01GQ26JHS) you get:“The Student and Mister Henri” (1 hour 35 minutes)2.0 Stereo5.1 Dolby DigitalOptional English Subtitles

And in the midst of an overwhelming sense of isolament at the end of another relationship, a sweet, intelligent film which is significantly more substantial than the 'comedy' it was presented to me as. This evening I sit in my little Cornish cottage, darkness having fallen following a sublime sunset, and I digest my baked potato with a sense of.... what? A little possibility of joie de vivre, je pense, despite my extraordinary ability to f*** things up, and make little tragedies of divine silhouettes. This film has a little of the feel of Amelie and Betty Blue, and reminds me once again that Paris waits for me, Vienna too. Excuse me for being a little overemotional (I have not forgotten the Bataclan or Charlie Hebdo) but there it is. Bravo, Mr Ivan Calberac (et Noemie Schmidt!).

Not everyone likes subtitles, but take it from me you won't regret the effort with this film. It's a thin storyline that begins with a curmudgeonly old man deciding to wreck his son's marriage by enlisting the unwilling support of a penniless young student to whom he offers free accommodation as payment. But it soon starts to explore the nature of love, dependence and self-fulfilment in that light-touch way that only French films seem able to accomplish. The main leads are terrific, and without stretching credulity too far or becoming sentimental the film delivers a satisfying payoff.

A sublime and beautifully moving film that left me in floods of tears. Great acting and a wonderful narrative arc. I cannot recommend this enough, watch it!

Although the story is slight (youth and age in conflict), the leading roles are played with conviction and thecast is well chosen. The young actress playing the student is especially appealing, with a hard to resistcombination of feisty independence and vulnerability. This is the sort of film that Europeans seem to doso well, with the human element and its ordinary problems and adversities approached with conviction andunderstanding.

Story revolves round relationship (not a romantic one) that develops between female student and elderly man with whom she lodges. Realistic, never boring, very much about everyday life in modern France. No real ending, but who wants one of those anyway!