Summer Hours

In Summer Hours, three adult children are left with the task of disposing of their deceased mother's home and possessions, which include many works of art that have great monetary, and sentimental value. Mom was the niece of a very famous French artist who she loved very dearly, and possibly romantically, although most of her collected works are by other artists. The home itself is also the repository of many happy memories, although the kids of late only got together rarely there since two of the three are living overseas. This is one of those films that has good intentions but just moves too slowly to suck you in. There is some conflict between the the three as the one living locally wants to hold onto the house and artwork for the next generation, although this makes no practical financial sense. Despite the conflict, the film has no real drama or tension, maybe because everyone is so polite and considerate, great traits to have in real life, but maybe not so great in reel life. Towards the end, a daughter of the one of the sons gets arrested for drug possession. It kind of comes from left field and really does nothing to advance the story. I'm not sure if it's the fault of bad editing, or just an attempt by the screenwriter to throw some drama into the mix. Although the film does get a little more involving as it moves along, not to the point where you're anywhere near to being engrossed. Spend your summer somewhere else.

Rating - 2 Stars