This movie leaves a complete void at the finale. Don't think you will get any resolution to the sad predicament of the family.

Don't bother starting to watch.

The first third of the movie may make the viewer think it's a thriller with a detailed social background;but it is not: it is actually some kind of "Kramer vs Kramer "in the working class, and fortunately,without an exhausting trial; the ending remains open ,with a message of hope scribbled on a wall "we're waiting for you" ; unlike Meryl Streep in Benton's 1979 movie, who did soul- searching ,the mother who has run away from her house in "nos batailles " ,one does not really know her motives : probably too many ! it's not the rosy world of Dustin Hoffman 's advertising management .And in "nos batailles " ,the wife works too, in a small ladies' wear shop.

It's about working in a factory , the union - which takes a lot of Olivier's time - , the little victories - the promotion towards the end ,which may be a way to sweeten a harsh story - and big defeats (a suicide );Olivier reveals himself a wonderful father , one call a feminist ,for he easily comes to term with his unusual situation ; his mom offers support ,but she tells him that she,too, felt like leaving home for her late husband 's work and union commitment would claim too much of his time ;so does his sister,but she works in the entertainment industry without steady employment and they do not always understand each other; although he faces his hard times with an admirable resilience ,Olivier is just a man : sick and tired of playing all the roles in the house , he tears the postcard mom sent to pieces, he burst into tears ,and he even finds some time to give his colleagues pieces of advice .And in spite of everything,a certain joie de vivre survives : decorating the Xmas tree ,celebrating the boy's ninth birthday ...

We all have to stand together ,in the family unit or in the harsh world outside.

'Nos Batailles' is a film about a mysterious dissapearance. But this is not a thriller, trying to unsolve the mystery. It is a real life drama about what happens to a father and his two young children, after his wife leaves the family without leaving a trace.

In fact, the viewer never knows exactly why the wife left her husband and children. And exactly this is what drives the father almost crazy. He wants to be angry, but at whom? Director Guillaume Senez succeeds in showing his desperation, and in letting the viewer feel what he feels. At first, he is reluctant to discuss the issue with his children or anyone else. Only after his sister confronts him with his own relation to their father, and after some dramatic events, Olivier comes to terms with the new realities in his life. The film ends with a wonderful, hopeful scene.

This is only Senez's second feature film, but you'd swear it was made by a much more experienced film maker. Sometimes, it seems Senez is influenced by his fellow Belgians the Dardenne brothers. They share the same unpolished style of film making, and also the emphasis on social themes such as workers' rights - Olivier is a union representative at his company. At other times, the film making style of Hirokazu Kore-Eda comes to mind. For example in the way Senez tells the story by showing small events.

Showing intense emotions in an honest, restrained and non-sentimental way is one of the hardest things in film making. In this film, Senez does exactly that. And he does it very well.