Labelling itself as a film destined for tragedy from its opening shot, Joachim Lafosse’s OUR CHILDREN only intermittently becomes flooded by its own despondent (and true) story. A subtle family drama of sometimes overwhelming complexity, Lafosse juggles a snarling interrogation of marriage with some exceptional performances, pitting Tahar Rahim and Niels Arestrup together again after their similarly notable appearances in 2009’s A PROPHET.

After Murielle (Emilie Dequenne) tearfully awakens in a hospital bed, asking questions to which the audience aren’t yet privy of the answers, Lafosse’s film skips back to the blissful highs of her and Mounir’s (Rahim) early relationship; one fuelled by lust, love and a looming marriage. A Moroccan immigrant, Mounir enjoys a comfortable life thanks to the monetary aid of his surrogate father André Pinget (a searing Arestrup), who eventually invites the couple to stay in his home. Laying the foundations of an apparently idyllic setup, Lafosse bounds from one life event to the next, charting the slow but eventually gloomy descent of a once happy union.

As they swiftly welcome a first and second child, Murielle starts to feel the oppressive weight of Pinget’s almost incessant presence in their lives. The emotional and economic manipulation becomes exacerbated by two further children and her desires to move from under his roof and into a household of their own. Cracking beneath the weight of Pinget’s oppression and his simultaneous hold over Mounir, the walls gradually begin to close in on Murielle, whose sanity forces her into a state of psychological catatonia that leads towards a shocking act of horror and desperation.

Measured and well plotted, OUR CHILDREN is a tough watch and a hefty story

Measured and well plotted, OUR CHILDREN is a tough watch and a hefty story – based on the 2007 case of Genevieve Lhermitte in Brussels – embracing of the unrewarding darkness that can underscore family life. Much like his previous films PRIVATE LESSONS and PRIVATE PROPERTY, Lafosse hones in on the claustrophobic minutiae of a close-knit family dynamic. This time his protagonist, Murielle, has to slowly come to terms with the dually conflicting presence of Pinget and Mounir, who both exert their desires for familial submission in various ways.

It’s a film of almost interminable psychological baggage, distinctly human characters and the pain that comes from the happiest of moments (the addition of new children spells further doom here). As the mentally tortured Murielle, Dequenne delivers a performance of total complexity, fully exemplifying the damage caused by a forced compliance with maternity, worshipping at the feet of an increasingly cowardly and unavailable Mounir, a man stifled by his useless masculinity. Although the finale is almost too conventional, no matter how unexpected, OUR CHILDREN is a work of callous assurance that will leave you reeling and asking questions regarding both the underlining commentary on immigration and Lafosse’s grasp of the notions of marriage.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NahXt2OhS3Y