Tout s'est bien passé

Not many movies have the courage to ask the hard questions, such as this one. The cast is excellent, both Dussolier and Marceau do a splendid job. There are enough complications to keep things interesting, the story carries you along. It's a really good movie.

If I have any criticism, it's that it takes place in an upper-class family, for which money is not an problem (that issue is briefly mentioned in the movie). This is therefore not at all representative of the average person, and it would be interesting to see this happen in a less privileged environment.

Despite this, it's well worth watching.

This movie is well worth the running time, not far short of 2 hours. The actors portray their handling of a family tragedy involving an elderly parent with great panache and sensitivity, without degrading to the maudlin. There are more lighthearted moments - a natural reaction, perhaps, to coping - and the direction allows the unfolding story to be entirely true to life and quite believable. There are a few twists along the way, which add to the interest, and the screenplay never falters.

It might have been nice to see a little more of Charlotte Rampling as the estranged wife - but her character has its own problems, and the direction makes this clear. The interplay between the medical authorities, the daughters and the assisted suicide service is very ably handled, too. Great work, need more of it.

A must see in terms of realism around acting and directing. Andre Dussolier gives his best performance ever as a man victim of a stroke. It is painful, poignant and disturbing. It makes you think about many things during and after the watching. You can think about MILLION DOLLAR BABY, because of the euthanasia issue evoked here. If you had anyone arond you victim of a stroke, this film will probably be unbearable or on the contrary will help you to overcome your grief. It could have been a TV movie; the perfect topic for coach audiences. François Ozon has nothing more to prove anyway. Sophie Marceau is also worth seeing, as usual.

The whole debate regarding assisted dying is contemporary and topical; cinema and TV are reflecting this with a number of productions, none finer than this 2021 French movie which avoids the obvious pitfalls of over-sentimentality, over the top ethical pronouncements and poor storytelling. Here we have a stellar cast (Marceau, Dussollier, Pailhais, Rampling and Schygulla) that adds international gravity to this sensitive subject material.

Andre (Andre Dussollier) is an 85 year old man who suffers a stroke that leaves him with life changing health issues. He makes the decision that he wants to end his life and asks his two daughters Emanuele and Pascale (Sophie Marceau, Geraldine Pailhais) to help him. We observe a family torn, twisted and uncertain about his request, yet Emanuele makes the decision to support her father in his 'project.' Assisted suicide is strictly illegal in France so they decide to take the only option open to them - get him over the border into Switzerland, where it's legal.

Despite a life-long love-hate relationship between them, there develops a latent bond between father and daughter amply realised by superb performances from Andre Dussollier and Sophie Marceau. Marceau has finally shed her Gallic pin-up girl image and developed into a fine actress, picking up serious parts that suit her in middle age.

Aspects of Andre's life and his relationship with family members come to the fore in the period before the date set to go to Switzerland, especially one particularly difficult one that had previously ripped the family apart. There is something forlornly upbeat about this film: a sense of Parisian sarcastic humour prevails when things look particularly bad and when Andre is at his most acerbic and bitter. The family put down their differences and pull together, even if they don't always agree with the 'project.'

A timely and significant film that manages to keep upbeat and realistic as it deals with a major issue of our time.

With very precise acting and without any traces of kitsch, "Everything Went Fine" by renowned French director, Francois Ozon ("Frantz"), is a masterful reflection on assisted suicide. The movie is based on the eponymous autobiography of the main character, Emmanuelle. Accordingly, the film takes a very personal look at her father and his desire to end his life in a self-determined way, but also at the conflicts into which this plunges his immediate environment. In particular, the numerous legal, bureaucratic and not least financial pitfalls are illuminated by the film in an unpretentious manner.

For all the authentic feelings the film portrays, it resists any temptation toward pathos or over-dramatization. The biography of the dying father, his difficult marriage heavily burdened by his bisexuality, the critical relationship with his daughter ("You've always been my favorite son") -- all this is only lightly hinted at. In fact, the movie manages to tackle a deeply existential topic with surprising lightness.

All in all, this is certainly the work of a master director, but not quite a genuine masterpiece. Nevertheless, "Tout s'est bien passé" is well worth seeing and thinking about -- though it doesn't necessarily make you cry. At least not before the final credits roll.