In the House,
known as Dans la masion in its
original French title is an off kilter French drama with more than a hint of
thriller thrust into its unorthodox and highly inventive story. Germain
(Fabrice Luchini) is a High School teacher beginning a new school year. While
marking his first assignments, a bland and unimaginative pile each entitled
‘What I did Last Weekend’ he comes across a longer piece written by Claude
Garcia (Ernst Umhauer). The essay is well written and details a voyeuristic
experience outside a classmate’s house. Slightly worried by the details in the
story which make special reference to the smell of his classmate’s middle class
mother, the teacher takes Claude to one side to discuss the content but
impressed by the standard of prose he encourages the boy to continue with
another chapter of his troubling story.
Before seeing this movie I knew absolutely nothing about it.
My girlfriend suggested we see it after she read a brief synopsis and noted
that Kristen Scott Thomas was featured in the cast. I’m really happy that she
spotted it because it’s a terrific little movie which features a highly
engaging story which turns the camera on the writing process as well as takes
an unflinching look at Freudian sexuality in a modern French setting.
