De son vivant

As one nears the end, people often speak from the heart. In the context of cancer treatment, there's a profound sense of emotion that isn't about possessing something. This sense of melancholy is vividly portrayed in this movie, scene by scene. Emotions can be contagious, starting from the brave choices in treatment to the shared feelings among fellow patients. The male protagonist, in the middle of it all, embodies the desire to let others know he cares and wishes them well. Lying in the hospital bed is a moment of helplessness, a journey towards departure. For the family members who witness it all, these emotional transitions must be deeply impactful and lasting.

A harsh subject , treated with modesty by a woman director , with two great actors ;I've never been a fan of Deneuve or Magimel ,but in these thankless parts ,they won me over ; both are admirable ,it takes all Deneuve's talent to avoid the over-possessive-mom routine and to show her rebellion against the inescapable ; her last message to her son's students (he's a dramatic art teacher) is a great scene ,it is as though the actress ,nearing 80, passed the baton to the young generation .

Matching her every step of the way is Magimel's performance of a terminally ill patient , who still teaches while he can :the first scene in the theatre looks like a group psychotherapy ( saying farewell) whereas it's a rehearsal ; it's a rehearsal for the final adieu anyway ....He goes as far as to play opposite his student in his hospital bed .

The screenplay is marred, IMHO ,by a cliché: the long lost son, who 's never known his father (who probably found his name :Léandre ,like in Molière's "les fourberies de Scapin") and of course lives in a faraway country; hence the obligatory scenes in English , so a la mode dans le cinema français ; moreover,from the Everly bros 's "bye bye love" to "go down ,Moses ", all the songs are in English ; we're in France,dash it! The sons' interventions are the only moments when Bercot falls into facile melodrama .

But let's not forget the two superb supporting acts by Gabriel A Sara and Cecile De France ;the former portrays an almost too human doctor ,whose commitment to his work is extraordinary ;always finding the wise words ,when there's nothing to hope , practising group therapy with his staff and his patients , his method includes music ,dance and joie de vivre ("what's that chaos? " a nonplussed Deneuve asks) ; Cecile De France gives a wonderful performance too, her luminous face reflects all the compassion in the world .Both actors sometimes steal the show from the principals ,not a small feat.

I guess this movie is destined to make housewives weep in their living rooms or in a movie theater, and maybe not only women but most audiences. And it does actually. The most impressive in this film is the Benoit Magimel's performance. As good as André Dussolier in TOUT S'EST BIEN PASSE, on the same scheme, topic I think this is the role of his whole career. And the shooting stopped during several months, six I guess, because of Catherine Deneuve's brain issues, so my question is HOW did Magimel manage this "break" concerning his diet to lose weight...I searched the anwers and did not find them. This is a very realistic film, helped by terrific dialogues, you have to be strong to hear them all, especially if yourself or anyone in your family has died or suffers from cancer. I won't spoil this gem any further and I wish you a wonderful but painful moment. One of the best French film ever made about cancer. I am not sure however that most doctors are as honest with their patients as this one is in this story. A very sensitive and wonderful character, my favourite of this feature.