Fin août, début septembre (1998) - film review

Gabriel, in his early thirties, finds his life upended after separating from his partner Jenny and then discovering that his best friend Adrien, a writer, has a terminal illness.   He becomes uncertain about his own career and hesitant over starting a new relationship with a younger woman, Anne.

Despite its apparent simplicity, Fin août, début septembre is a profound and intelligent film, confirming its director, Olivier Assayas, as one of French cinema’s most perceptive and talented auteurs.  The film is crafted in the style of Dogme 95, an approach which became popular amongst some European filmmakers in the late 1990s, although less so with cinema audiences.

In Fin août, début septembre – as in most of his films – Assayas is clearly far more preoccupied with characterisation and style than plot.  It is a familiar enough story, in which we are shown how the terminal decline and death of one person affects the lives of those around him.  What makes this a worthy film is the way in which Assayas tells the story, in a striking combination of the literary and the visually artistic.

Cinematographically, Assayas’ approach is reminiscent of that of the French impressionist painters of the late 19th century.  Skilful use of the handheld camera creates a constant sense of motion, emphasising vitality and uncertainty. Meanwhile, reliance on natural light – which occasionally drenches the screen – captures the unquenchable force and beauty of life, both contrasting and heightening the mood of melancholia which springs from the narrative.

In Fin août, début septembre, Assayas takes a mundane story and imbues it with depth and significance.  The death of Adrien and the film’s title are obvious metaphors for the painful transition from youth to middle age.  Through some magnificent performances (Mathieu Amalric, François Cluzet and Jeanne Balibar are each at their best), the film vividly portrays the anguish, uncertainty, regret and hesitant optimism which become so apparent when one becomes aware of the loss of one’s youth.

Quietly modest and understated, Fin août, début septembre does occasionally trip up on its own artistic cleverness and sometimes appears too self-conscious to be totally enchanting.  However, this does not prevent it from being a deeply moving and insightful work, one which leaves a haunting – and strangely uplifting – impression on its spectator.

© James Travers 2003

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