Tout va bien, on s'en va

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.

One of the reasons I love French movies most is because they are tales about realistic themes. This one also even if it is not the most amusing of them all. The film opens with a shot from an old man (one of the less actors you can recognize from behind, Michel Piccolli) and when he looks through a window he sees three women but he goes away without saying a word.... The more the movie develops the more we learn that this man Louis is the father of the three : Laure (Miou-Miou), Beatrice (Sandrine Kiberlain) and Claire (Natacha Regnier). None of them haven't see a thing from him since he went away fifteen years. The girls aren't only different people (from character to their financial situations) and they're all reacting different to the coming of their lost father. Claire cant believe she's having back her father but soon she realizes that she has to take care of him (he is suffering from loosing the memory and that's why he actually came back, to recognize them while he still can) and Beatrice (the careerwoman) for whom everything is complete over, there isn't any reason why she should be remembering him again. The elder sister Laure don't know what to do (reject him or giving him that second chance) and Louis tries to find contact with her through her little daughter Marion. As said this movie is drama at it purest and director Claude Mouriéras shows it in a sort of documentarystyle...the reactions (sometimes cruel) are never explained or judged...it's just what they are and that makes "Tout va bien, on s'en va" a cold movie, but enjoyable to watch. As always it is a big pleasure to see Miou-Miou on the screen.

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.

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.

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.