When Autumn Falls

François Ozon strikes a fresh note in his enjoyable psychological comedy-drama set in Burgundy.

Hélène Vincent and Garlan Erlos

Image courtesy of Parkland Film Capital.

Originally known as Quand vient l’automne, the title of François Ozon’s latest film was translated first as When Fall Is Coming but it now reaches the UK appropriately amended to When Autumn Falls. Although it is a screen original written by Ozon along with Philippe Piazzo it is hardly memorable enough to be considered one of Ozon's best films, but what really counts here is that it is an enjoyable movie.

Set in a small community in Burgundy, this is a film which initially looks far removed from the kind of work that one expects from Ozon even though it is not unusual for him to put the spotlight on established actresses. Here his two leads are Hélène Vincent, now 81, and Josiane Balasko, 74, and the early scenes of Ozon’s film in portraying the long-established friendship of two elderly women suggest a quiet, sympathetic piece which by having two such characters at its centre could well be the kind of relaxed movie which is aimed first and foremost at older audiences. As such it as appealingly done, helped of course by the fact that Vincent and Balasko remain such assured players. But, as the film proceeds, we come to realise that its tone is changing and it's not for nothing that some critics have described it as a work echoing the kind of material often favoured by the late Claude Chabrol.

The gentle opening seems to link with the film’s title and, as we meet the octogenarian Michelle Giraud (Hélène Vincent) the sense that this could be a study of the autumn of life is supported by the music score composed by Evgueni and Sacha Galperine.  In addition, there is the pleasure to be derived from the partnership here between Vincent and Balasko with the latter in the role of Marie-Claude Perrin who is Michelle's best friend. The rapport between them is utterly persuasive and, although the duo are in no way a comic turn, the physical contrast between the two actresses reminds one of the wonderful way in which Laurel and Hardy set off each other. For a while any potential dramatic elements are conveyed by no more than hints: thus, we learn that Marie-Claude has a son, Vincent (Pierre Lottin), who has been a disappointment and is about to be released after completing a prison sentence and we become aware that Michelle's daughter, Valérie (Ludivine Sagnier), who lives in Paris, is in the process of divorcing. When the latter visits Michelle and brings her young son Lucas (Garlan Erios) on whom her mother dotes, it soon becomes clear that Valérie views Michelle in what seems a surprisingly unsympathetic light.

The rural setting may be reminiscent of that featured by Agatha Christie in many of her Miss Marple stories but here there is a greater sense of reality in the characters and in the location and what develops is not a whodunit even if a police captain (Sophie Guillemin) will have a significant role to play. What Ozon offers instead is a story with undercurrents gradually extending to dramatic events which may be sinister but are not necessarily so as when one character suddenly goes down with food poisoning. Central to the narrative as it develops are a series of unexpected revelations about the characters and their past lives. These eventual disclosures encourage the viewer to speculate on the motivation of the characters and this keeps us happily engaged. If the excellent cast contributes to our pleasure (in addition to the two leads there is particularly well-judged support from Pierre Lottin and Sophie Guillemin), so too does the excellent colour photography of Jérôme Alméras and the sheer smoothness that Ozon brings these days to virtually every film that he directs. That said, Ozon does make one minor misjudgment in the way that he handles scenes involving a ghost presence since he fails to realise that if they are to convince they really need to be shown in a way which suggests that it is all in the imagination of the person haunted. If you wanted to theorise about this film and find deeper meaning in it, you could suggest that it is a film about mothers and their children. But on balance it is probably better just to accept it as an engaging entertainment, a film well-made and well-acted that offers a pleasant night out.

Original title: Quand vient l’automne.

Also known as: When Fall Is Coming.

MANSEL STIMPSON

Cast: Hélène Vincent, Josiane Balasko, Ludivine Sagnier, Pierre Lottin, Garlan Erios, Sophie Guillemin, Malik Zidi, Paul Beaurepaire, Siodiki Bakaba, Vincent Colombe, Pierre Le Coz, Michel Masiero.

Dir François Ozon, Pro François Ozon, Screenplay François Ozon with Philippe Piazzo, Ph Jérôme Alméras, Art Dir Christelle Maisonneuve, Ed Anita Roth, Music Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine, Costumes Pascaline Chavanne.

FOZ/France 2 Cinéma/Playtime/Canal+/Ciné+/Cofinova 20/France Telévisions-Parkland Film Capital.
103 mins. France. 2024. UK Rel: 21 March 2025. US Rel: 4 April 2025. Cert. 12A.