Review | The Lost Prince movie review: Omar Sy plays a father living in fantasy in Michel Hazanavicius’ whimsical family drama
- The Lost Prince, from the director of silent film The Artist, tells the story of a widower whose 11-year-old daughter is growing up too fast
- His imagination plays out in colourful scenes, which contrast with his family life, but the story is too predictable
2.5/5 stars
The curious career of Michel Hazanavicius continues unabated. Since winning prizes galore for 2011’s silent movie homage The Artist, he has directed the too-earnest NGO drama The Search and the spirited Jean-Luc Godard tale Redoubtable.
His new film, The Lost Prince, almost feels like the Hollywood movie he never made. It’s bright, colourful, expensive-looking and – sad to say – a tad predictable.
Omar Sy, the hugely likeable actor from The Intouchables, plays Djibi, a widower and father of 11-year-old Sofia (Sarah Gaye). Every night he reads her a bedtime story, but he must face facts: she’s growing up faster than he can contend with.
Not least, she has taken a shine to Max (Neotis Ronzon), a sandy-haired boy in her class. She’s even encouraging of her father finding another partner. “If you ever want to,” she says, “feel free.”
Where the film gets very strange are with a series of fantasy sequences, meant to be Djibi’s wild imagination. It’s here where he envisions himself as The Prince; his castle is no fortress but a magical movie studio.