My Favorite Season (Ma saison préférée) (1993)

92% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(946 ratings)

French critic and filmmaker André Téchiné directs the intense family drama Ma Saison Préférée (My Favorite Season), which he co-wrote with screenwriter Pascal Bonitzer. Family matriarch Berthe (Marthe Villalonga) is advancing in years and developing health problems, so she goes to live with her… More French critic and filmmaker André Téchiné directs the intense family drama Ma Saison Préférée (My Favorite Season), which he co-wrote with screenwriter Pascal Bonitzer. Family matriarch Berthe (Marthe Villalonga) is advancing in years and developing health problems, so she goes to live with her daughter Emilie (Catherine Deneuve). Emilie is a cold, fiftysomething professional who lives in a large upper-class home in Toulouse. She also lives with her husband Bruno (Jean-Pierre Bouvier), her daughter Anne (Deneuve's real-life daughter Chiara Mastroianni), and her adopted son Lucien (Anthony Prada). When Christmas arrives, Emilie's troubled brother Antoine (Daniel Auteuil) arrives at the house for a visit. He and Emilie have not spoken since their father's funeral three years ago. Despite his attempts to maintain control, Antoine quickly comes into conflict with Bruno. Painful emotional realities from the past return and cause violent conclusions. My Favorite Season was shown in competition at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 5 min.
Directed By: Andre Techine
Written By: Andre Techine, Pascal Bonitzer
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 27, 1996 Wide
On DVD: Jan 14, 1998

Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
One of those intriguing films that functions without a plot, and uses instead an intense curiosity about its characters.
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review
The film captures the joys and pains of real family life, never romanticizing them, and always presenting them with great perception and truthfulness.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Yum.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Top-drawer exploration of the mysterious sibling bond.
Chris Hicks, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Despite a few psychological explosions here and there, the drama is muted most of the way and it's sometimes downright dull.

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Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"My Favorite Season" is about the troubled relationship between a brother, Antoine(Daniel Auteuil), and sister, Emilie(Catherine Deneuve), who are both middle-aged. Antoine is a brain surgeon and Emilie is a lawyer who works in the same office as her… More
[font=Century Gothic]"My Favorite Season" is about the troubled relationship between a brother, Antoine(Daniel Auteuil), and sister, Emilie(Catherine Deneuve), who are both middle-aged. Antoine is a brain surgeon and Emilie is a lawyer who works in the same office as her husband, Bruno. Up to this point, the siblings had been estranged for a few years when their mother collpapses at her remote farm where she lives alone. [/font] [font=Century Gothic]The movie's structure is in four parts - which corresponds to the four seasons that the film takes place in - fall, winter(Christmas), spring and summer.[/font] [font=Century Gothic]"My Favorite Season" is about family, first and foremost. Specifically, it is about the time for grown children to take care of their parents that once took care of them. The emphasis here is on the siblings and Emilie's children are simply distractions who are ignored for long stretches of time.(Thus, leading to one totally unnecessary bit of female nudity.) I usually don't care about this sort of thing but nothing is really explained about Antoine's personal life or why he lives alone. The whole reason for watching this movie is the immense talents of Catherine Deneuve and Daniel Auteuil and they do not disappoint in the least.[/font]