A TASTE OF INK is a raw and intense familial drama that will leave you gripping the edge of your seat whilst simultaneously tugging at your heartstrings. Set against a backdrop of grungy body art and punk rock, 24 year old Vincent (Kévin Azaïs) who is struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of his mother, finds his relationship with his father, Hérve (Nathan Wilcocks) hanging by a thread as the two lock horns in a battle to be the alpha.
The relatively simple storyline is interwoven with complex characters whose layers are slowly and beautifully revealed to us through their relationships with one another. In attempts to seem brave about losing their loved one, they both shun their true emotions and instead hide them behind different guises: the son, Vincent, covers his body in tattoos and pours his feelings into telling lyrics; Hervé is nonchalant and negligent when it comes to his son, threatened by Vincent’s development into a young man. This is further threatened when Hervé brings his girlfriend Julia home, and the two start to develop a significant rapport.
In the opening sequence, Vincent has portraits of his parents etched on his neck, to the surprise of the artists- and Hervé. On returning home he derides Vincent who, animated and lively in the previous scenes, is now silent and seemingly suffocated. Hervé taunts that Vincent was too weak to face his mother’s death and that the tattoos are pointless. Vincent suddenly seems to transform into a remarkably sensitive and agonized character who suffers at his father’s hand. This behaviour is normal for the father and the son, who clash in almost every interaction with each other that we see. Whether it be from a dispute over a broken glass to humiliating Vincent at the dinner table in front of Julia- Hervé seems to have forgotten what it means to be a father.
The narrative is gritty and hard-hitting, yet surprisingly sensitive to important issues …
Hervé is perhaps the most mysterious of the characters. He is first shown as being cruel and merciless, cold and distant. However, there are moments in the movie where Hervé seems to forget his animosity towards his son. They share a playful moment whilst washing Hervé’s van, spraying each other with water and hiding from one another. However, Hervé inevitably returns to the disgruntled and neglectful father he has been portrayed as throughout the rest of the film. The switch is remarkably unsettling, leaving us wondering how exactly Hervé feels towards his son.
This relationship suffers even more when Julia enters the picture. Vincent and Julia share an almost tangible attraction as they exchange long glances and meaningful conversations. The two characters have a rapport that Julia and Hervé do not. Vincent sees Julia as an escape- and perhaps even a form of revenge against the father that has been so negligent. Julia appears conflicted and contained, longing for a freedom that only Vincent can bring her. Whilst the relationship between Vincent and Julia is an important one, the grittiness and emotion comes more from the father/son relationship which is constantly in doubt.
The script is wonderfully written, witty and with just the right amount of humour to balance out the intense emotions and relations between the characters. The narrative is gritty and hard-hitting, yet surprisingly sensitive to important issues such as men disguising their pain instead of discussing it. The cinematography and editing are superb, using muted greys, soft yellows and fiery reds to reflect the inner turmoil of the characters whilst also juxtaposing slow motion shots with fast-paced jump cuts to achieve the same effect.
A TASTE OF INK is an intricate yet gritty film with many layers to it, characters that are complex and imperfect, and with moments that leave you breathless and with a bitter taste in your mouth.