Please don't spend money on this.

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Apart from having loads of incomplete information about the lifestyles of film stars, most people also have their minds full of vague ideas about film producers as they are taken for rich businessmen. A layman doesn't think twice before believing that producers would be willing to invest in any film. Father, producer and suicide are three key words which describe the essence of Mia Hansen-Løve's film 'Father of my children'/Le Père De Mes Enfants". In the beginning, there is a doting father in this film who has immense love for his children. What is worth appreciating is the fact that despite his tight schedule, he manages to spend time with his family. From a sociological point of view, family is the most important social structure known to human beings. This is one reason why the film's protagonist takes good care of his family. He knows that he can strike a fine balance with family life and work. However, there are times when life offers new surprises. It is at this stage that one witnesses how despair,tremendous pressure drive a famous producer to commit suicide. The real worth of a human being can be measured only at the time of his/her absence. This maxim can be applied to this film's title which looks at a father who is no more from the point of view of his children and wife.

'The Father Of My Children' tells the story of the family of a film producer who comes under financial stress. Plot-wise, the film surprises when the expected ending occurs half-way through; we thus get to also see the aftermath. There's nothing wrong with this per se, although it means we really have two stories in one, and the overall narrative arc is thus slightly broken. But I don't think this is the only reason this film seems strangely devoid of dramatic tension. Even though there are some fairly notable developments, nothing really seems to upset the serenity of its affluent characters. At one point, there's a power cut and the lights go off; after a few minutes, they come back on again, and in some ways, that's how the whole film feels: stuff happens, but the consequences always seem not to actually matter that much. I normally like understated films; but this one, although nicely put together, feels underplayed, and therefore, just a little uninteresting.

I feel that being only the 4th person to evaluate this film is a little daunting, but what the heck. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, well staged in my birth city, and now I live in Sydney Australia it's always a bonus to get a free trip! Beside this fact I did really like the way the characters' acting did not look like they were acting and so look so natural. I did not realise this was taken from true events but do not feel it does matter anyway. It's just a story of someone who has dreams and works very positively towards them despite the increasing impossibility of success to the point there is no return. Despair and depression are the winner to the shocking final towel trow. The rest of the livings are trying to cope and pick the pieces but in vain, at least for the pieces as the movie gets you to believe that despite everything life goes on... you could say this actually is a contradiction in term! I was a little annoyed about the music score in the beginning, rather loud and not flattering, perhaps I missed something, and I also must have missed something with the ending song that did not work very well for me, I found it rather inappropriate, but my friends disagreed with me so there you are, each person may respond in different way.

This film has been well reviewed, described as a 'roller-coaster' and emotional, so I was prepared for something quite heavy. However some 30 minutes in, nothing much had happened. The film centers around Gregoire a husband, father and workaholic who runs a film production company that is facing massive financial issues. In between continuous phone calls and business meetings, Gregoire spends time with his family, at their apartment or at the house in the country. The family seem very close and content, but away from this Gregoire is in crisis mode.The start of the film plays outs very slowly, but there is a sense that something tragic will happen. Of course it does, but the effect is less than I would expect. Gregoire's death devastates those around him and his wife is left to pick up the pieces. What should be an emotional, er, roller-coaster fails to engage on an emotional level because while we see Gregoire is up against life, there is no indication that life is so bad that suicide is the answer. There is also no shock element to his death, Gregoire burns some papers then walks along and shoots himself and it all seemed unrealistic.The film also struggles as there is an immense array of pointless scenes: the elder daughter sitting in a cafe ordering a coffee, the family walking around a church in Italy. All of these scenes add nothing except to drag out the story which after the death introduces a secret child and a friendship between the elder daughter and a young man who was to work with her fathers company. Neither of these stories are explored in any detail and so add nothing to the film either.It's a shame that for me the film didn't engage. There are some nice performances, especially from the daughters and the scenes of the family are actually quite endearing. What a loss then that a potentially interesting and emotional story set inside the world of film making is nothing but slow and a little boring.More of my reviews at iheartfilms.weebly.com