Après la vie (2002)
Directed by Lucas Belvaux

Film Review

Après la vie is one of three films directed by Lucas Belvaux which make up a most unusual trilogy.  The other two are: Un couple épatant and Cavale.  All three films were made at the same time, with the same cast and crew, and have narratives that run in parallel and periodically overlap.  The main characters in one film become secondary characters in another, so there is a sense of seeing the same drama from three different perspectives, an idea that works surprisingly well.

After the stuttering comedy Un couple épatant and the superlative noir thriller Cavale, Après la vie is a gritty drama that revolves mainly around the nightmare of drug addiction.  Whilst the plot stretches credibility in a few places, it is nonetheless a compelling and thought-provoking film, sustained by some extraordinarily intense performances and some appropriately moody cinematography.

Dominique Blanc's portrayal of a middle-aged drug addict is utterly convincing, making her the lynchpin of the film.  The scenes where her character goes into withdrawal are truly harrowing to watch and a shocking reminder of the destructive nature of narcotics addiction.  In the calmer, more reflective scenes, there is a sense of quiet despair, as though Agnès has endured an eternity of this Hell and can hardly face another day.

The pathos and helplessness of Blanc's character is amplified by Gilbert Melki's equally solemn portrayal of the husband, Pascal, a man who has allowed his wife's addiction to foster within him an equally tragic dependency.  Pascal finds it hard to love and uses his wife's addiction to prove himself worthy of her.  What other reason could there be for him risking everything to provide the woman he married with a constant supply of hard drugs?  Pascal's need for love is as intense as his wife's craving for morphine, and is no less destructive.

It's a shame that we are periodically distracted with plot threads hanging over from the other two films in the trilogy, because there is a very profound human story at the heart of this film.  Après la vie is fundamentally a film about love and the need to be loved beyond all else.  This notion is so brilliantly encapsulated in the devastatingly effective closing sequence, where light is shed on the film's enigmatic title, and the spectator is left stunned.

Film Synopsis

Pascal Manise is a dedicated police inspector who is prepared to do anything so that he can supply his drug-addicted wife Agnès with a regular supply of morphine.  Unfortunately for him his dealer is a villainous crime baron, Jacquillat.  When a political terrorist, Bruno Le Roux, escapes from prison, Jacquillat warns Pascal that there will be no more morphine until Le Roux is found and killed.  As he hunts for the escaped terrorist, Pascal is engaged by Cécile, one of his wife's colleagues, to spy on her husband, because she is convinced he is having an affair with another woman.  As he undertakes this errand, Pascal cannot help falling in love with Cécile. Meanwhile, Agnès becomes involved with Le Roux. Badly affected by drugs deprivation, she believes he will help her if she provides him with a safe place to hide. However, Le Roux's only thought is to conclude his long-standing vendetta with Jacquillat...