Teenage Wasteland: Boukherma Bros. Sprawl with Coming-of-Age Melodrama
French directing twins Ludovic & Zoran Boukherma swing hard with their fourth feature, And Their Children After Them, a coming-of-age saga taking place across eight years of the 1990s in the deindustrialized (fictional) town of Heillange in Eastern France. There’s a definite richness to the narrative, a change of pace for the directing duo, who, only in their mid 30s have explored several genres, most notably with their 2020 rural werewolf drama Teddy, starring Anthony Bajon. The dense storytelling this time around is no surprise, based on French crime writer Nicolas Mathieu’s celebrated 2018 novel. Set across four transformative summers for two teenage boys from dysfunctional families defined by physical abuse and alcoholism, it’s also a love story. Sullen, meandering adolescents grow into broken young adults in a running time which eventually feels a bit protracted and could have benefited from some adjustments to the pacing. Still, it conjures a specific time and place with a hallowed reverence which makes it enjoyable enough despite some superficiality.
In the late summer of 1992, fourteen-year-old Anthony (Paul Kircher) and his cousin stumble upon two girls swimming during their aimless gallivanting. Steph (Angelina Woreth) sparks his interest, but she’s more confident and experienced as she’s a few years older. They invite the boys to a distant party at a wealthy residence, which forces Anthony to make a fateful decision. Sneaking out of the house with his father’s prized possession, a motorbike in the garage collecting dust, they head to the party where another interaction will shape Anthony’s life. When Hacine (Sayyid El Alami), who’s Moroccan, and his friend show up and are kicked out of the party, Anthony trips him, publicly shaming him. At the end of the night, the bike is stolen, which Anthony and his mother (Ludivine Sagnier) believe will awake his dad’s (Gilles Lellouche) violent wrath. The attempts to have the bike returned stirs a deep seated row between the two young men, a vicious confrontation hanging over their heads for the next eight years.
Clearly, the Boukherma Bros. have a sense for a difficult mise en scene, where a sense of discovery is still possible in the dilapidation or rural ruins. They reunite with their Teddy DP Augustin Barbaroux, which was also a countryside tale, albeit of a much different tone. The first hour, set in 1992, sets up a crackerjack scenario of tension and anxiety, lighting a fuse which is primed to blow at any moment. The establishing dilemma between two distinctive families over hurt pride and a stolen motorbike establishes a kinship with something like The Outsiders (1983). Only, when the film makes its first jump to 1994, the energy begins to wane. Where we feel we should get a deeper sense of either Anthony or Hacine the narrative instead plateaus through repetitive scenarios. Anthony and Steph have a chance meeting again, Hacine attacks, parents intervene. Fast forward another two years, etc.
What gets lost in the mix is the revolving emotional connections Anthony has with his first love and his arch enemy, two characters who are merely emotional representatives, nothing more. The romance with Steph is reminiscent of George Clooney’s adaptation of The Tender Bar (2021), with Ludvine Sagnier (in fine form) as a flawed mother offering the only real emotional support Anthony has available to him. Lellouche, who also produces, is effective as a loving but violent, alcoholic father. His final moments have a sense of helpless heartbreak to them. In essence, And Their Children After Them has the sprawling sense of space, time, and romance Lellouche himself attempted with the ungainly Beating Hearts (2024). However, both films would have greatly benefitted from an edit.
As Anthony, Paul Kircher never gets beyond feeling like a lost, shuffling puppy. It’s a drastically different role than the anguished teen he plays in Christophe Honore’s 2022 Winter Boy (read review), which confirms the specific choices made in his characterization. But here, the greatest joy about watching him on screen is seeing the resemblance to his mother Irene Jacob with his long locks. The greatest disservice of the film is its handling of Hacine, as Sayyid El Alami is an arresting screen presence. The abuse inflicted upon him and what seems a convenient emotional rehabilitation is a major let down as his perspective is egregiously absent—-and promises to be more interesting than the monotonously motivated Anthony.
At the same time, there’s a popping vintage soundtrack which assists in bringing several key scenes to life, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Boney M., Aerosmith, The Supremes, and, lastly, The Boss himself. But had the film felt as innovative and eclectic as these musical selections, And Their Children After Them might have transcended the tropes it leans into as a film adaptation.
Reviewed on August 31st at the 2024 Venice Film Festival (81st edition) – In Competition section. 144 Mins.
★★½/☆☆☆☆☆
