Tropic Sprockets / Last Summer

By Ian Brockway

Catherine Breillat is known for pushing the envelope, and she does so here in “Last Summer,” a remake of the 2019 Danish film “Queen of Hearts” and an engrossing objective analysis of an incestuous situation between stepmother and stepson. The matter-of-fact dispassionate tone is certain to challenge assumptions. [Showtimes at Tropiccinema.com.}

Anne (Lea Drucker) is married to Pierre (Olivier Rabourdin). They have two adopted toddlers.

Pierre has a juvenile delinquent son Theo (Samuel Kircher) from a previous marriage. Theo is passive, nonchalant, and disdainful of authority. He purposely creates a mess in the house and has been involved in minor criminal acts. Pierre takes a permissive attitude to the troubled son and Anne is clearly frustrated by Theo but resigns herself to his unkempt lazy manner.

Pierre is consumed by work and is not romantic. Anne complains to friends that she feels left out, missing many life experiences. She witnesses Theo behaving in a very soporific and spontaneous manner, a devil may care sense of joy.

Anne and Theo begin to spend time alone. One night they cuddle together and begin to have sex.

Anne is intoxicated.

When a friend sees them behind a shed, Anne is guilty and horrified and terminates the romance.

The next day Theo pushes his intentions upon Anne, but she rebuffs him. Theo is combative.

When Pierre returns from work, Theo confesses the incest.

Anne threatens Theo and insists that the sexual intimacy did not happen.

This is a film that makes an uncomfortable choice by clearly choosing the mother as a villain in certain respects defying convention.

Yet on the other hand, in her day-to-day life with her husband, she is treated as a dispensable routine, a person who fulfills a function. The film is an excellent and honest study of an upper middle-class family in dysfunction.

Write Ian at [email protected]

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