The Thorn in the Heart

Switching, as he does, between music videos, documentaries and Hollywood pictures, Michel Gondry chose to focus on the life of his aunt Suzette for his latest documentary. Using his cousin’s old Super 8 film footage, interviews, animation and the odd outtake that should have remained on the editor’s floor, the story of Suzette’s life as a teacher, moving from school to school across the 60s, 70s and 80s is told.

Now, this is all very good, but why would anyone outside of the Gondry wider family have an interest in this story? This is where the faults creep in. The people involved in many of the stories are rarely introduced, leading the viewer to try and guess as to what relation each has to Gondry’s aunt. This leads for quite a fractured and non-linear story, where the timeline has to be pieced together.

But while the logistics are a little challenging, the more emotional side of the film’s main focus, his cousin’s relationship with his mother, Suzette, provide a more rewarding challenge. Probing into sensitive issues around the relationship of the pair, Gondry gives an insight unconventional family life and the issues that often remained untouched. It is perhaps Gondry’s close relationship that allows him to delve into areas that an outside director would be unable to, though this closeness can also serve to alienate the viewer from those involved as the film becomes more and more personal.

Using standard Gondry techniques, employing toy trains, animation and an unnecessary attempt at a music video, the documentary is put together with a light-hearted approach to some sensitive subjects. And indeed, The Thorn in the Heart is a nice, little piece into the director’s family life. How important a documentary such as this is for a cinematic release is entirely up to you.