A Bad Son 1980

Bruno Calgagni, Patrick Dewaere, returns to Paris after five years in a US prison for drug dealing and heads to his father René Calgagni Yves Robert at his apartment, only to learn that his mother Madeleine Claire Maurier died while he was behind bars. His father is initially supportive, and the next night they go out together, but the mood shatters when Bruno asks two prostitutes to join them; his father explodes in rage, insisting that their actions helped drive his mother to kill herself with barbiturates. Bruno then moves out, taking on manual work despite his training as a cabinet maker, trying to stitch together a life on his own. A compulsory visit to a rehabilitation clinic changes his path when they suggest a more congenial job in a bookshop that has already welcomed Catherine, a recovering addict Brigitte Fossey; the two quickly connect, and Bruno moves into her apartment, though the bookseller warns that Catherine still uses drugs. Desiring to mend things with his father, Bruno visits René early in the morning and discovers him in bed with Madeleine, his mother’s best friend, a longstanding relationship that shocks him and triggers a fresh outburst blaming the pair for his mother’s death. Catherine’s addiction intensifies, prompting her to voluntarily return to hospital, and Bruno leaves the bookshop to work again with a cabinet maker. Later, in a café, he encounters Madeleine, who reveals that his father is crippled after a work accident and that she has left him; Bruno then returns to his father’s apartment, where, while he is there, he tries to reach Catherine by phone.