ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

p-stepien Michael Gondry, renowned for his visual escapism and audacious visuals, brings us a sombre, almost exclusively down-to-earth low key picture of the life and times of a section of the Gondry family. Focused primarily on his Aunt Suzette, a retired school-teacher is a secluded village district, Gondry subtly paints a picture of an ordinary family and its trials and tribulations. Save for the odd bits of quirky animation, a train-set functioning as a time device and a bit of cinematic fun with invisible children, Gondry goes full frontal bare minimum on us, largely escaping more inventive cinematography, instead for a more sombre, albeit simultaneously ecstatic presentation of tidbits of family history.Aunt Suzette is an endearing person, as is her somewhat estranged, even resentful, son Jean Yves. Firmly on their shoulders the almost prosaic movie does delivers moments of restrained satisfaction, much like peeking at home movies of your neighbours. Venturing a bit through time and touching on some grinding internal family issues, Gondry's documentary is a slight odd ode to the Gondry clan, which at times feels too personal to actually be suited for a publicly attainable feature. The movie even features significant snippets of private collections of 16mm home-made movies, which, largely unedited, imprint an even more voyeuristic feel to the viewing. By the end credits I did come to like the family, and even developed an affinity for the warm demeanour of Michael Gondry himself. Suzette as well as draws you in and surprises with small tidbits of prolific wisdom as well as her heartfelt remembrance of days past. This is probably the type of movie most of us would dream of doing - a summary of a life of someone dear to you kept forever on celluloid.

politic1983 Switching, as he does, between music videos, documentaries and Hollywood pictures, Michel Gondry chose to focus on the life of his aunt Suzette for his latest documentary. Using his cousin's old Super 8 film footage, interviews, animation and the odd outtake that should have remained on the editor's floor, the story of Suzette's life as a teacher, moving from school to school across the 60s, 70s and 80s is told.Now, this is all very good, but why would anyone outside of the Gondry wider family have an interest in this story? This is where the faults creep in. The people involved in many of the stories are rarely introduced, leading the viewer to try and guess as to what relation each has to Gondry's aunt. This leads for quite a fractured and non-linear story, where the timeline has to be pieced together.But while the logistics are a little challenging, the more emotional side of the film's main focus, his cousin's relationship with his mother, Suzette, provide a more rewarding challenge. Probing into sensitive issues around the relationship of the pair, Gondry gives an insight unconventional family life and the issues that often remained untouched. It is perhaps Gondry's close relationship that allows him to delve into areas that an outside director would be unable to, though this closeness can also serve to alienate the viewer from those involved as the film becomes more and more personal.Using standard Gondry techniques, employing toy trains, animation and an unnecessary attempt at a music video, the documentary is put together with a light-hearted approach to some sensitive subjects. And indeed, The Thorn in the Heart is a nice, little piece into the director's family life. How important a documentary such as this is for a cinematic release is entirely up to you.www.politic1983.blogspot.com

razmatazern I was able to see this movie at SXSW this year, and I'm grateful that I had that privilege.I really enjoy being able to look into a stranger's life and just learn random tidbits that would otherwise remain unknown. Being able to see the life of Suzette Gondry was very interesting. The film seemed like a personal movie that Michel made just for him and his family, but it was neat being able to watch this film and feel as if you're being welcomed into their lives--if even just a small part.After learning about all the ups and downs of her life and watching the impact she has had on many people, I felt as if Suzette had been a part of my life.

Tom Law Just saw this film in NYC, there was also a Q&A after with the man himself after. I found the film to be a beautiful portrait of someone's life, and how the people around them are affected. Michel said in the Q&A that he wanted to give his Aunt some visual record/history of her life, and this film goes to show that you don't need to create a Hollywood fictional character, real people are just as interesting and entertaining. Gondry uses a mixture of visual formats to illustrate the documentary, from super 8 to his well known stop motion. This adds a richness, and a historical depth that works within the context of the film. The film is emotionally moving at times and also humorous. The film is simple and enjoyable, one that does not need to be taken too seriously, yet carries tones of a maturity in Gondry's work that is often not always so prominent. Go see it!