C'est la vie
2001 Comedy / Drama / Romance
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Credits
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Summary
Dimitri is barely fifty when he discovers he has an incurable illness. Leaving his
home in Marseilles, he moves into a hospice where he will live out his last few weeks
in the company of other terminally ill men and women. The people he encounters make
up a rich tapestry of humanity – all age groups, all races, all walks of life are represented.
His attention is drawn to a young volunteer helper, Suzanne, who is still lamenting the
premature death of her husband. Dimitri himself feels abandoned, having lost contact
with his wife and young son. The two form an instant bond and they seem to be made
for one another. But time is so short…
Review
With his fourth full-length film, director Jean-Pierre Améris broaches a sensitive
and thought-provoking subject - how we should live when we know that our time is nearly
up. Sensibly, Améris eschews mawkish sentimentality for realism, and so,
whilst the film’s uncompromising approach makes it at times painful to watch, it does
leave a profound impact and does cause the spectator to reflect on his own mortality and
on the value of life. The film was shot in a real hospice, whose residents
(some in the last stages of a terminal illness) made up much of the supporting cast.
The film's power lies in the quality of its acting performances. Lead actors Jacques Dutronc and Sandrine Bonnaire bring truth and genuine pathos to a film which might otherwise have been almost too austere and depressing to watch. Contrary to what you may think, the film is not about dying. It is more about how we should make the best use of the little time we have - looking out in wonder at the beauty of a sunset, rejoicing in the untidy companionship of others, or relishing the thrill of a romance, before it all gets wiped out by the inescapable Night of oblivion. It's not a sad film, but rather a strangely uplifting one. © James Travers 2007 Write a review for this film... |
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