22/03/2024 - In her first directorial effort, French actress Camille Japy tackles the theme of bereavement with a film moving from black comedy to family drama

Ariane Ascaride (left) and Bérénice Bejo in Over the Cracks

Odile is getting ready to celebrate her birthday. As she’s waiting for her children and grandchildren to arrive, her husband Jean dies unexpectedly. Unable to face up to reality, she decides to hide him under their bed. But anyone who’s expecting a black comedy along the lines of Weekend at Bernie’s after reading this synopsis should think again. Because even though Over the Cracks - the first feature film written and directed by French actress Camille Japy and competing in the International Panorama section of Bif&st - starts out in a grotesque vein, it gradually morphs into a moving family drama which reveals far more “cracks” beneath the surface.

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Ariane Ascaride delivers an intense performance as Odile. As our main character is about to put the main course of her birthday lunch into the oven, her husband Jean (Bernard Alane) suddenly falls ill and dies. Upstairs and in shock, Odile hears her children, in-laws and grandchildren arriving to celebrate her birthday in the family’s beautiful country home. Odile’s daughter, Sylvie (Bérénice Bejo), arrives with her two children, her partner Mathieu (Stéphane Brel) and his daughter in tow; they’re soon joined by Odile’s son, Lucas (Thomas Scimeca), and his girlfriend, Clara (Marilou Aussilloux). Odile can’t bring herself to tell them what has happened, or rather she can’t process the situation, so, after hiding her husband’s body under the bed, she decides to pretend they had an argument a short while earlier and that Jean has decided to take off: they’ll celebrate without him.

They’re all taken aback, especially Sylvie who had her heart set on introducing her father to her new boyfriend. But obviously Odile won’t be able to keep this pretence up for long. And once the truth is out, each of the characters reacts to this loss in their own way. Fragile yet funny Odile is in total denial; Sylvie, the responsible and slightly uptight daughter, shoulders all the bureaucratic practicalities; their idealistic son, Lucas, takes a philosophical approach to everything, as does his bright and profound girlfriend, Clara, while Odile’s small grandchildren turn everything into a game. Amidst all of this, Sylvie’s latest “acquisition”, Mathieu - a selfish and slightly ridiculous professional cyclist obsessed with competitions - strikes a discordant note and his awkward presence draws out a few laughs.

Ultimately, the film treads the line between drama and comedy, a delicate balance which Japy clearly strikes with this portrait of a family, ultimately like any other, in which everyone has their established place and enjoys their share of affection and consideration. Bejo is heart-rending as the daughter who always tries to do the right thing, but who nonetheless feels unloved and overshadowed vis-a-vis her mother by the more eccentric Lucas. But in addition to Jean’s body, these cracks belie a secret which casts a different light on some of their dynamics and reactions, shuffling the decks and their roles, as if they’re sitting for a family photo where people change places between shots. Essentially, this is a film about bereavement which offers those left behind a chance to heal.

Over the Cracks is produced by Mandarin & Compagnie, Paname Distribution (who also distributed the film in French cinemas on 7 July last year) and Lamarr, while Totem Films are managing international sales.

(Translated from Italian)