Two brothers and a sister witness the disappearance of their childhood memories when they must relinquish the family belongings to ensure their deceased mother's succession.
Performances in this small and profoundly eloquent film are superb, yet none redirects attention from Assayas's earnest meditation on the ravaging effects of a shrinking world on family traditions and entrenched personal relationships.
– Greg Quill,
Toronto Star,
19 Jun 2009
fresh:
Where a Hollywood film of a family feuding over a fabulous estate would surely end with a slapped face and an infantry charge of lawyers, Assayas's work concludes with a smile and a shrug. Life goes on. What else can it do?
– Stephen Cole,
Globe and Mail,
19 Jun 2009
fresh:
Evocative look at a family trying to decide what to do with its treasures.
– Ray Bennett,
Hollywood Reporter,
19 Jun 2009
fresh:
n Summer Hours, Olivier Assayas's gently provocative rumination on family and possessions, a trio of siblings wrestles with the problem of what to do with the old homestead once Mother is gone.
– Jonathan F. Richards,
Film.com,
23 Aug 2009
fresh:
Assayas' script is more allusive than demonstrative, with a distinct whiff of Eric Rohmer in its conversational blocks separated by fadeouts.