Private Property

A mother (Isabelle Huppert) lives with her twin sons (Yannick and Jérémie Renier of the Dardenne films) in a way-too-tight relationship in a house in Wallonia. While the parents have been divorced for ten years, the boys are still exposed to their heated quarrels. When the woman wants to sell the house to start a new life with her lover, it becomes apparent that the family members hold each other hostage under the guise of love. The imminent sale becomes the stakes in a merciless battle between them, one in which they all try to impose their rules on the others and as a result lose their last remaining traces of independence. At the same time, the mutual aggression increases. When the mother finally flees to a safe haven, this is followed by a violent outburst between the two sons – in fact an indirect manifestation of the impotence of the parents.

Despite the explosion of the nuclear family, Private Property is not only about the bankruptcy of love. The confrontation between the sons finally ensures that the family can appreciate each other again and with more freedom.

Lafosse films with masterly precision and is able to give apparently everyday situations an unusual extra meaning. The scenes are often long and provide plenty of space to the suggestive and extravagant actors, who are well matched. –IFFR