Dad On The Run
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: C+
Martin Scorsese’s After Hours (1985) is one of the
best-known films about male anxiety (castration and otherwise) as the isolated
man goers on the run at night trying to find himself. Dante Desarthe’s Dad On The Run (2000) is an interesting
variant as a young Jewish father (Clément Sibony) goes crazy realizing at the
last minute that he needs to bury the foreskin of his son immediately after
circumcision.
The result is a journey to figure out how to do this right
and still stay Kosher with God and the future of his son and family. The common denominators between the two
films are interesting, with high stakes very similar and having a backing family
in this case not making any anxiety really any less. Though the film is good, it is not as good as Scorsese’s film,
yet has enough going for it (including some Judaism points I bet I missed) to
distinguish itself. It is worth a look.
The letterboxed 1.85 X 1 image is soft and an older transfer
for First Run, but is watchable as cinematographer Laurent Machuel captures the
comic timing of the actors and directing, as well as the feel of community
among the family and friends. Best of
all are the night shots and they look great, showing yet another side of
France. They are some of the relatively
clearer shots. The Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo has no surrounds, but is clean enough.
Extras include trailers for other First Run DVDs, director profile and
interview with the filmmakers.
- Nicholas Sheffo
