Quand vient l'automne

Michelle enjoys her retirement in a picturesque village in Burgundy, goes mushroom hunting with her longtime friend, and drives her to the prison where her friend’s son is incarcerated. She has a tense relationship with her own daughter, Valérie, but loves her grandson all the more. When the little boy is supposed to spend the school holidays with her, a scandal erupts: Overwhelmed by Valérie’s constant reproaches, Michelle serves her poisonous mushrooms. Valérie recovers quickly, but Michelle is no longer allowed to see her grandson. Lonely and full of guilt, she falls into a depression – until her friend’s son is released from prison.

This time, French master filmmaker François Ozon takes his audience into seemingly idyllic rural life. He crafts his cinematic universe in rich detail, so that one can almost smell the falling autumn leaves and the mushroom stew. Yet, subtly and with a diabolical delight, Ozon sows doubt: Is it all coincidence, or meticulously planned? «Quand vient l’automne» skillfully plays with the allure of ambiguity. The lead roles are brilliantly performed by Hélène Vincent, Josiane Balasko, Ludivine Sagnier, and Pierre Lottin.