La Famille Bélier

Karin Viard and François Damiens prove why they are French cinema's go-to character actors in this heart-warming comedy drama. Here they are cast as the slightly eccentric farming parents of teenage daughter Paula (newcomer Louane Emera), who doesn't share their deafness. This makes them rather reliant on her signing and translation skills, but when Paula discovers at a school choir audition that she possesses the most amazing soprano voice, her music teacher (Gainsbourg's Eric Elmosnino) suggests she try out for the prestigious Radio France school in Paris. Tough decisions loom in a film that lures us in through good-natured knockabout comedy, but then delivers affecting emotions as the family faces the bittersweet dilemma of a mum and dad unable to appreciate their daughter's remarkable gift. Whatever the arguments about hearing performers in deaf roles, Viard and Damiens are utterly believable in the context, while Emera was a deserved winner of a César on her debut. It's a real family crowd-pleaser that's well worth seeking out.