Haut les coeurs (1999)
Directed by Sólveig Anspach

Film Review

Haut les coeurs ought to be a deeply depressing film, because it depicts, with numbing realism, the trauma of an attractive young woman who is struck by cancer.   The realisation that she has cancer, the shock that she may have to have an abortion to save her own life, and then the terrible experience of chemotherapy - there is not much here to give anyone any comfort.  Yes, despite the grimness of the subject matter and the cold, documentary-style realism of the cinematography, this is a curiously uplifting, reassuring film.  No matter how terrible the condition and even if there is a good chance that the cancer victim may not pull through, the fact that the human spirit can bear up to this and put up some resistance is in itself a positive message.  This film should be some comfort to those individuals who discover they have cancer, or to their friends and families.

The film's coldness and lack of contrived drama is both a strength and a weakness.  This approach is justified by the subject matter, and any attempt to heighten the drama with over-the-top histrionics would certainly weaken the film's impact.   The downside with paring back the drama to a minimalist documentary approach is that certain parts of the film appear very bland and mechanical, potentially losing audience involvement.

One thing that cannot be faulted, however, is Karin Viard's exceptional performance as Emma, which earned her the best actress Cesar in 2000.  The sign of a truly great actor is the ability to display emotion and torment without falling back on the obvious physical responses. Viard's portrayal of a cancer victim is both reflective and inwardly rebellious, a victim who scarcely seems capable of taking in what is happening to her.  Her performance is so believable that you wonder whether she herself has experienced a similar illness in her own life.  It is very difficult to watch her character's suffering in this film without experiencing a profound and enduring sense of compassion and admiration.

Despite its lack of originality and low-key style, many viewers of this film will find this to be an overwhelming and haunting experience.

Film Synopsis

A young woman, Emma, decides to get pregnant without her boyfriend's consent.  This puts a strain on their relationship, but this is nothing to what they experience when Emma discovers that she has breast cancer.  Her doctor tells her that she can be cured if she starts an immediate course of cancer treatment.  Unfortunately, she must also have an abortion, because this treatment is likely to damage the foetus.   But Emma cannot bear to give up her unborn baby...