The Grocer’s Son by Author’s Name

This is a pleasant French film about the people of the French countryside. When a traveling grocer gets quite ill, his son has to return from the city and head back to his native countryside village to take over his father’s job. The son travels with a truck from which he sells food and other provisions to mostly older people, with the rest being families and singles. It really is a nod and acknowledgement of the vagaries, oddities, and commonalities of the citizens of the French countryside.

The only nudity, (some may not consider it nudity), is when the son sees a small part of the breast near the arm when he looks at the bathroom where his friend is changing clothes. The door is slightly ajar and he “spies” on her. Much later, they retire to a room and it is implied (off-screen) that they spent the night together. I actually consider this very tame in comparison to other films.

This movie just dragged. I didn’t even watch the whole film. Someone else might enjoy this movie; it just wasn’t one I could enjoy. I do like foreign films, but ones with an interesting plot or story to follow.

Our family’s favourite film…
Like being there in rural france. I love this film. Very gentle.

This version of the film by film movement comes with the English subtitles “printed” on the film, so they can’t be turned off. That’s a bummer for me as a French teacher. I want my advanced students to view the original version, or to have the French subtitles. Sadly, English on is the only way to view this film.

I’ve seen this beautiful film several times on Amazon Prime. It grows on me with every viewing. It’s a slow moving leisurely film but that is what I love about it. You get to know about Antoine and his family, his lovely girl friend, Claire, and the inhabitants of the hamlets. There are lovely views of the Provence countryside and I became very fond of the customers. It is a warm and loving film with a sharp edge, the relationship between Antoine and his father is brittle but resolves itself at the end. And Antoine’s brother has a dark side which I did not see coming, it was a total surprise. I was guessing how the film would end, and it was a very satisfactory ending. I decided to purchase the film and add it to my collection.

A beautiful film–good story, excellent cast and superb setting. Lead actor, Nicolas Cazale, won a French Oscar (Cesar) nomination and the film and cast garnered several festival awards. “The Grocer’s Son” follows a familiar theme–returning home to find oneself. In this case, it’s 30-year old Antoine Sforza who’s been bouncing around Lyons for some years, who grudgingly returns to help out his mother run the family grocery store in the French countryside after his father’s disabling heart attack. The habitually self-absorbed Antoine drives a grocery truck on a village circuit that services a wide group of elderly rural folk and finds himself challenged to be more than just a butter and egg salesman. Antoine comes to realize that his daily appearance with the truck is often as much a social service as a source of provender. Antoine’s savvy neighbor and secret crush, Claire, whom he has brought to the village with him, has this figured out rather quickly and does what she can to steer him in the direction of harmony with the clients.

As he gradually evolves as a grocer and local citizen and neighbor, Antoine is also pushed into resolving his ongoing conflicts with his father and brother–both of whom have more serious problems than he does. All of this adds up to a very agreeable coming of age story, albeit one with the frequently vague French-film ending where not every loose end is completely tied off. This is my thoroughly American take on the conclusion; a French filmgoer would probably see it differently.

In any event, a lovely film with the additional pleasures of interesting and amusing secondary characters and gorgeous scenery (looks like southern Auvergne or Rhone Valley to me) as backdrop. Highly recommended.