Ivul (2009)
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67% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
16% want to see it
(188 ratings)
Each teenager chooses his own way to rebel, but the young protagonist of Andrew Kotting's bizarre comedy/drama finds a unique way of challenging his folks. Ivul (Jean-Luc Bideau) is a strong-willed Russian expatriate living in France with his forbearing wife (Aurelia Petit) and their four… More Each teenager chooses his own way to rebel, but the young protagonist of Andrew Kotting's bizarre comedy/drama finds a unique way of challenging his folks. Ivul (Jean-Luc Bideau) is a strong-willed Russian expatriate living in France with his forbearing wife (Aurelia Petit) and their four children. Teenaged Alex (Jacob Auzanneau) is Ivul's only son, and he's become especially close to his big sister Freya (Adelaide Leroux). Freya is extremely fond of Alex, and shortly before she's to leave for a long trip to Russia, she asks him to touch her in a provocative manner, and he happily agrees. However, Ivul walks in on Alex and Freya, and angrily accuses Alex of taking advantage of his sister. When Alex can't convince his dad that this isn't the case, he angrily climbs up to the roof of the house, hops into one of the many trees that surrounds their home, and stays there. For the next several months, Alex lives in the trees despite repeated requests to come back to solid ground, and the youngster's absence takes a surprising toll on the family. Ivul was the first French-language film from British director Kotting. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Andrew Kotting
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Studio
- Sciapode
Critic Reviews
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Dave Calhoun, Time Out
It may lack some of the earthy kick of his previous two films, but Ivul still shows Kötting as an outsider force to be reckoned with.
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Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
The movie will baffle and disconcert some. Others will find it a paradoxically realist visual poem about families and hurt feelings.
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Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph
It's a film about improvisation: the higgledy-piggledy, bruised-and-abraded, hopeful-but-haunted ways we come up with to stumble through life and around our loved ones.
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Ian Freer, Empire Magazine
Although Andrew Kötting's film has the potential for something great it seems that over -thinking and too much focus on style has taken away from the content and unfortunately will not be everybody's cup of tea.
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Sloan Freer, Radio Times
While the movie's themes are full of potential, their dull and superficial execution makes it difficult to stay focused.
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