Private Property review

An emotionally complex and bitingly funny family drama from the young Belgian writer/director Joachim Lafosse, this sees the boundaries between parents and children become fatally blurred. Isabelle Huppert heads the cast as Pascale, a divorcée living with her grown-up twin sons (real-life brothers Jérémie and Yannick Renier) in a rambling farmhouse. When she anounces plans to sell the land, which is actually owned by her ex-husband (Patrick Deschamps), and set up a B&B with her new male lover (Kris Cuppins), her offspring respond furiously. Shot with effective restraint – precise framing traps the individuals within their stifling domestic environment – Private Property is also impressively acted by its trio of leads. Thanks to the acuity of their performances, the old adage “You always hurt the ones you love” rings new and true.