There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love for her children – and in his most recent directorial outing, François Ozon explores this concept (which he has touched on in the past, making it one of his more frequent themes) by way of When Fall Is Coming (French: Quand vient l’automne), a film that follows Michelle, who has been spending the last few years living in a quaint village in pastoral Burgundy, where she passes the time reading, gardening and foraging in the nearby forest with her best friend Marie-Claude, the two elderly women becoming unlikely companions and mutual support systems as they navigate new chapters in their respective lives. This is particularly important since Michelle has to endure a daughter who has grown resentful of her, to the point where visits from her grandson are becoming too sporadic, while Marie-Claude is preparing for her son’s release from prison. A few unintentionally poor decisions ultimately lead to a series of crises for the two women, which thrusts them both into a precarious position, from which escape seems almost impossible, particularly when the dashing and enigmatic Vincent makes his services available to help resolve certain problems, but which only creates more obstacles for them both. A wonderfully deranged and deeply compelling mystery thriller that sees Ozon returning to his roots of challenging the confines of the moral foundation that makes up society, When Fall Is Coming is yet another tremendous achievement that contains many of the director’s bespoke flourishes, handcrafted to a narrative that only becomes richer and more interesting with his assured hand at the helm, which has shown very little sign of depleting in terms of creativity. Deeply hypnotic and blisteringly funny in some parts, When Fall Is Coming is a fascinating little gem of a film, and well worth the time of both devotees and newcomers to Ozon’s visionary career.

At the very core of When Fall Is Coming is a film about a woman trying to lead an ordinary, peaceful life, and where pure bliss is simply being able to pass through the day without any complications. Ozon has often been drawn to stories about people who find their tranquil lives disrupted by external forces that gradually and methodically become more ingrained in their domestic existence, to the point where it is impossible to simply retreat. The themes that he examines here are very simple and don’t require too much thought to determine their roots – this is a story about someone who has chosen to live out her days in relative isolation, which we initially believe is just a way to recede into a lifestyle in which the simplest of pleasures are all that anyone needs to feel satisfied. However, as the film progresses we see exactly what Ozon is commenting on – When Fall Is Coming is built around conversations on motherhood in various forms, whether looking at the different relationships that occur across generations, or examining the idea of becoming a surrogate mother to a wayward soul who needs some direction. However, its far from the poetic and rousing ode to the women who raise us – instead, it engages in discussions around how challenging it can be to raise a child that grows despondent and hateful as they grow and begin to see through the facade of parental perfection that we all are led to believe is true in our earlier years. The relationship between parents and their children can be complex and difficult to define, and Ozon has frequently factored these themes into many of his works – but in When Fall Is Coming, they take the central focus, gradually becoming more pronounced as the film progresses and we can see the conceptual machinations lingering beneath the surface, which evokes certain ideas that we may not have been expecting to encounter throughout this film.

When Fall Is Coming is anchored by a few extraordinary performances – it sees Ozon returning to making smaller, more intimate character-driven dramas where the priority is on casting people who are the right fit for the roles, rather than expending too much energy populating it with the most well-known names. He finds the perfect balance here, since most of the actors in the film have been working for decades, but very rarely find themselves being given such fascinating roles, usually taking on smaller supporting parts. This is most notable in the case of Hélène Vincent, someone who often appears in smaller roles, but nonetheless always leaves an impression – and as one of the sporadic opportunities for her to lead a film, she proves her mettle from the moment she appears on screen. Vincent perfectly emulates the spirit of these lovable, warmhearted older women who settle into simple domestic lives in the countryside, being pillars of their community and, most importantly, being viewed as paragons of morality, something that factors heavily into the plot towards the end as the protagonist is confronted with a very difficult choice. Equally good, but sadly not as prominent in terms of time on screen, is Josiane Balasko, who plays Michelle’s best friend who inadvertently finds herself burdened with a secret that could change the lives of everyone she knows. The film makes use of the two veterans very well, drawing on their inherent talents and effortless charisma (to the point where the most compelling moments of this film are those where Vincent and Balasko are simply engaging in simple, trivial acts – dancing, picking mushrooms or simply strolling through the countryside) to define these characters. Conversely, Pierre Lottin (who is steadily emerging as one of the great talents of contemporary French cinema) is also very good, capturing the spirit of this man who is struggling to settle into society after a lengthy stay in prison, and who finds himself at odds with those around him. When Fall Is Coming proves yet again that Ozon casts his films exceptionally well, with every performance being honest, authentic and unquestionably entertaining throughout.

While some of his films tend to be more complex than others, it’s always a good rule of thumb to assume that whatever expectations we have for the narrative will be entirely subverted throughout the film. We are promised a subtle, charming story of a retiree trying to live a simple, easygoing life while adjusting to her pastoral surroundings – and while this is the core of When Fall Is Coming, it’s far from being the only element that defines the plot. Ozon tends to infuse even the simplest of works with additional genre elements, layering them into the story in such a way that the progression feels natural but still unique. There is something off-kilter and unconventional about this narrative that extends far beyond simply the story of an older woman becoming unintentionally embroiled in a murder – and through taking this particular approach, the director adds elements of psychological thriller and touches of neo-noir into the proceedings, elevating When Fall Is Coming from a quaint rural drama to yet another Hitchcock-inspired character study that investigates the roots of the human condition through deconstructing it from the core. The thriller-based elements are fascinating, as they arrive not as a sudden, jarring shift in the narrative, but rather gradually emerge through the subtlest cues that are eventually revealed in their entirety, creating a unique flow of ideas in which the central mystery unravels in fascinating and engaging ways. Ozon doesn’t neglect to pepper the film with some slightly comedic elements – When Fall Is Coming is not a particularly funny film, but the brief touches of humour do break the monotony and tension, and create a slightly more varied experience, since the viewer isn’t sure whether a particular scene will end with some lighthearted observations or devastating revelation, the blend of which is one of the primary elements that gives the film such unique momentum and allows it to flourish into a truly original, provocative work..

When Fall Is Coming is a film that does see Ozon playing in a slightly minor key – its not his most ambitious production, and plays very similarly to works like Swimming Pool and In the House, insofar as they are simple, straightforward works infused with layers of mystery that are ultimately challenged by the ongoing desire to provoke and unsettle the seemingly delicate balance of life, whether it be aiming for the bourgeois lifestyle of those who are fortunate enough to be reckless, or observing the day-to-day rituals of ordinary people as they go about their routine, especially in instances where they are burdened with knowledge that they hope may never be revealed, whether for their protection or that of others who exist around them. Featuring some tremendous work from a very strong cast, who add many layers of meaning to an already complex film, this is an invigorating and daring character study that offers insights into the process of self-reflection and observation of the changing world that surrounds us, shifting faster than we could ever hope to keep up. It’s a wonderfully daring and poignant piece of cinema that carries a lot of meaning, even at its most simplistic and straightforward, subverting our expectations in creative and provocative ways. Far from a defining masterpiece, and perhaps simply viewed as one of the momentary detours that occur in between his more major works, When Fall Is Coming is nonetheless tremendously compelling, and proves yet again that Ozon truly is a master of his craft, and someone whose vision has seemingly never dulled in the decades of filmmaking, and will only continue to flourish as he finds new methods of deconstructing and scrutinizing the various aspects of the human condition.