Familiar Ground – 2011 LAFF

The talented filmmaker Stephane Lafleur has arrived at the L.A. Film festival with a boom… or rather a barely audible quip, suitable for any lover of dry humor. Lafleur is known for his “rare affinity for the unhappy, isolated ordinary people and a rare ability to make their miseries both funny and oddly magical”. And that is exactly what he does in Familiar Ground (or En Terrains Connus).

The film, which made its North American premiere last Saturday, follows the story of brother-sister duo, Maryse (Fanny Mallette) and Benoit (Francis La Haye). Set in Quebec during the winter, the drab lives of the pair are examined. Maryse is a secretary at a cardboard factory, who is stuck in an lackluster marriage. Benoit still lives with his ailing father, who treats him life a teenager. The film is split into three acts “Accident #1”, “Accident #2”, and “Accident #3”.

During the second chapter, a man from the future arrives. In a laugh out loud moment, Benoit asks if the future is nice, and the man responds that he isn’t from that far ahead, just “next September”. The man goes on to reveal that Maryse can’t leave or else she will die in a car accident. And thus, Benoit must figure out what to do next.

Lafleur demonstrates a complete control in filmmaking. Every scene, word, and action has a purpose. This control combined with his command of tone creates a film that is an utter joy to watch. Put it together with the dark humor and the deadpan characters, and it’s a film lover’s dream come true.

When introducing the film, Lafleur only said one thing, “There are three films in this festival from Quebec. And all three take place in the winter. I just want to let you know, we have summer, too”. Apropos humor, especially for a Lafleur film.