The Beat That My Heart Skipped (French)
Thomas Seyr's life is shaping up to be just like his father's, including a career in dad's business of thuggery and shakedowns. But as is often the case, perhaps a piano can save him. This is "The Beat That My Heart Skipped" ("De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté"), a French remake of James Toback's 1977 film "Fingers." Thomas (Romain Duris) is in his late 20s and, with two testosterone-heavy buddies, is involved in "real estate." Their specific source of income is shady and vague. Thomas' father Robert (Niels Arestrup) owns some property and is not afraid to beat people up who do not pay their rent on time, or to send Thomas to do the beating-up for him. Thomas and his partners are also sometimes dispatched to let rats loose in apartment buildings. I don't know what purpose that serves, exactly, but anytime people are setting rats free in hallways, you know the motive behind it is not pure. Thomas has resigned himself to continuing his life in this fashion when he runs into Mr. Fox (Sandy Whitelaw), who managed his late mother's performances when she was a concert pianist. Fox wants to know how Thomas' own playing is coming along. Thomas confesses he has barely played in 10 years. Still, Fox wants him to come audition for him. The conversation with Fox marks the first time in the film that we see Thomas looking interested in life. When he's with his libidinous low-life father, or with his suit-wearing lowlife friends, he seems bored, even embarrassed to be part of such a life.
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