Mr. Arestrup gives a full-bodied performance as the film’s most intriguing character, who blurs the line between senile irascibility and out and out malice.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Slant Magazine by Andrew Schenker
For all of the director's willingness to explore his characters' unexpected depths, he's still hamstrung by his perpetually tasteful cinema-of-quality aesthetic.
There are no big surprises in store in terms of where this setup is headed...But the pic’s pleasures are nonetheless numerous, starting with its talented cast.
Lustrous photography and a fine cast make this dark drama a compelling one.
It’s a human-size tragedy, one that shows how deadening it can be to remain subject to those who give us life.
The Hollywood Reporter by Frank Scheck
The film overcomes its schematic plot elements with finely observed characterizations and rich dialogue.
There’s a ton of truth and ugliness to You Will Be My Son, and the minor digressions into soapy territory keep threatening to derail. It never does thanks to Arstrup, a force of nature who grabs his scenes by the throat and never lets go.
The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw
It's all a bit absurd, but Legrand handles the absurdity with some style, and there is something clever in making an apparently minor character responsible for a major narrative flourish. An enjoyable spectacle.
The Telegraph by Robbie Collin
As metaphors for life go, wine has a very high yield, and Gilles Legrand’s sensitive screenplay tramples out every last drop of juice.