Custody, also known by its French title Jusqu’à la garde, tells the seemingly familiar story of a messy divorce, and the inherent conversation of child custody that comes along with it. However, director Xavier Legrand ups the ante by shifting the tone to be electrifying rather than simply dramatic, and this tonal augmentation can be seen clearly in the first U.S. trailer.
As far as feature-length directorial debuts go, Custody is a fantastic achievement for Legrand. The film has been selections at a wide range of film festivals including the distinguished Toronto International and Venice Film Festival (at which Legrand took home the Best Director award). Our own Jared Mobarak caught Custody in Toronto and spoke highly of the film’s depth: “The intensity is too much to bear in the best possible way. Legrand knows exactly where to position his characters and what’s necessary to break them. It’s a steady crescendo of suspense despite his source of danger never shifting.”
See the new trailer and poster below for the film starring Léa Drucker, Denis Ménochet, and Thomas Gioria.
Miriam (Léa Drucker, THE MAN OF MY LIFE and IN MY SKIN) and Antoine Besson (Denis Ménochet, ASSASIN’S CREED and GLORIOUS BASTERDS) have divorced, and Miriam is seeking sole custody of their son Julien (Thomas Gioria) to protect him from a father she claims is violent. Antoine pleads his case as a scorned dad and the appointed judge rules in favor of joint custody. A hostage to the escalating conflict between his parents, Julien is pushed to the edge to prevent the worst from happening.
From Kino Lorber, Custody will open on June 29th.