Ceux qui restent (2007) - film review

On one of his frequent visits to the hospital where his wife is being treated for breast cancer, Bertrand meets a young woman, Loraine, whose husband is also seriously ill.  The two realise they have much in common, in particular a sense of guilt that they should be the ones who are spared whilst their loved ones suffer from a terrible illness.  They see each other more often and soon realise that they can help each other through the worst crisis of their lives...

One of the greatest films ever.  This movie makes one regain confidence in humanity after a bad day.  It is not about sickness, although the action is in a hospital.  It is not about loss and mourning, even as death is a premise.  It is not even about recovery, even as the characters do recover, somehow, in a gentle denouement. The film is about the boundless, inexorable strength of people when they bound together.  Anne le Ny puts together a harrowing story in the hands of two strong actors, Lindon and Devos, who both have the emotional repertory to portray suppressed suffering with credible intensity.  There is neither elegy  nor callousness. None of the characters is perfect, their imperfections and misunderstandings just add to their wholesome humaneness.  Careful avoidance of stereotypes from the -woods (Holly and Bolly) pays off for Anne le Ny with splendid results, a movie one remembers, re-watches, relives.
© Dan Gabriel (Toronto, Canada) 2011 

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