Tout va bien, on s'en va

Movie about three differing sisters, the oldest one a ballet teacher, who's never had any success and the youngest an aspiring concert pianist, living in poor housing conditions. The middle sister has made it, she's financially secure and helps the other sisters with money. Their lives are a little boring, just routine. Then suddenly, up pops their father. This man, played by Piccoli, left his family years ago, without leaving a message and an address. This return invokes different reactions in the sisters and places their own relation under stress. They react with hate, rejection and it confronts them with their youth. It proves that their father is slowly losing his memory and he wants to meet his daughters before he's lost his mind completely. The subject of this movie is not surprising and the story develops in a natural way. So in the end, it's all a bit tedious. It's nice to see Miou Miou again though.

The reason why someone should like this film is that its director Claude Mouriéras has given a unique opportunity of his life to famous actor Michel Piccoli to portray the role of an old man whose unexpected arrival causes tremendous turmoil in the mundane lives of his three daughters.It is a veritable tragedy when we see how an old gentleman is ill treated by his daughters.This brief description might suggest that this film is the French cousin of the famous Italian film "Tre Fratelli" directed by great director Francesco Rosi.There is hardly any similarity between these two films.In France a lot of films are made annually which give viewers a glimpse of French family life but it is a mystery as to how many of them are seen by people outside of France. Tout va bien,on s'en va is an exception to this rule as it has been shown in many film festivals.Apart from Michel Piccoli's mind boggling performance,one should see how other actresses perform in front of the camera.A film which will surely move you to tears when you see how cruel Miou Miou,Sandrine Kiberlain and Natacha Régnier have been in this film opposite their father Michel Piccoli.If you like this film,make sure to watch two others French films "Daddy Nostalgie" and "Un dimanche à la campagne" both directed by Bertrand Tavernier.He is the only leading figure of French cinema whose has made films about families which can be appreciated within a family setup.

I really enjoy watching French Film,not only because my mother is French but also because the French make great films.

TOUT VA BIEN, ON S'EN VA is another great French film although I didn't think it would be one at first glance.The film is very slow and not much happens,but after a while(say 20 minutes)you get into the system of the film and then it's a joy to watch.

The acting is what makes this film.French acting canon Michel Piccoli puts down a remarkable performance as the demented father(Louis) of three sisters played by Miou Miou(great name),Sandrine Kiberlain(stunning,especially when she gets mad)and the young Natacha Regnier.Each player is doing a superb job with Piccoli as the stand out.

The comic touch is provided by Laurent Poitrenaux who doesn't know the difference between left and right.This isn't always good because the film itself isn't funny at all,but we'll forgive him.

The scenes in which Louis is trying to remember his girl's addresses or names is really heartbreaking as are the scenes in which he quarrels with them.The director one time uses a "Brief Encounter" trick to show the desperation of Louis.The image behind him turns completely black.Although he plays a dark character it is never possible to really hate him.

A first class acting film that takes time to adjust. 8/10

Everything's Fine (Tout va bien, on s'en va) is about the impact on three sisters of the return of their father, who walked out on them 15 years earlier. That pretty much sums up the plot - the film tries to present itself as a psychological study rather than a narrative. Unfortunately the main characters are difficult people and hard to like, and their reactions to their father's return (ranging from total hostility to apparent acceptance) are hard to understand, as nothing is revealed about their former relationships. The film would have been much better if it had taken itself less seriously, and offered more to its audience - more plot, more background, and a more convincing exploration of its characters.

I love French cinema. I really like everyone who's playing in this movie. But, I can't say that I really liked the movie itself. I think it will be easily forgotten. The director doesn't go far enough with character development and doesn't give us enough background to understand how the three sisters react when their father is back in their lives after 15 years. Too many aspects are left unexplored.

As for the acting: Natacha Régnier is the best of the lot. She delivers a fine and credible performance. Sandrine Kiberlain, an actress I usually admire, is at first annoying. But she gets better in the second half of the movie. But both Miou-Miou and Michel Piccoli, two great stars, are not too convincing in much of the scenes they appear in.

Out of 100, I gave it 72. That's good for ** out of ****.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on November 21th, 2004.