Don't Forget You're Going to Die (1995)
"N'oublie pas que tu vas mourir" (original title)

Benoit (Xavier Beauvois) has planned out his life. Unfortunately he has forgotten the military duty. After he is called to duty he tries everything to get around. He goes to a psychiatrist ... See full summary »

Director:

Xavier Beauvois

Writers:

Xavier Beauvois, Emmanuel Salinger,

Stars:

Xavier Beauvois, Chiara Mastroianni, Roschdy Zem

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Xavier Beauvois	...	Benoit
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Claudia
Roschdy Zem	...	Omar
Bulle Ogier	...	Benoit's Mother
Jean-Louis Richard	...	Bennoit's Father
Emmanuel Salinger	...	Military Doctor
Jean Douchet	...	Jean-Paul
Pascal Bonitzer	...	Psychiatrist
Cédric Kahn	...	Benoit's Friend
Stanislas Nordey	...	Benoit's Friend
Patrick Chauvel	...	Military Commander
Denis Psaltopoulos	...	Patient
Frédéric Quiring
Sandra Cheres
Marc Foure

Storyline

Benoit (Xavier Beauvois) has planned out his life. Unfortunately he has forgotten the military duty. After he is called to duty he tries everything to get around. He goes to a psychiatrist who gives him medicine against depression. As this doesn't work out he tries suicide. The story gets even worse as he is told by a military doctor that he is HIV positive. Benoit tumbles down into the drug scene. Then he goes to Italy and meets Claudia (Chiara Mastroianni). Things seem to improve, but only for a short time...

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Plot Keywords:

italy | drugs | human immunodeficiency virus positive | aids | art | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

3 January 1996 (France)

Also Known As:

Don't Forget You're Going to Die

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

AFCL, La Sept Cinéma, Périphéria

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Long day's journey into nothing

Once in a while (and more often in summer, I'm afraid) a film arrives on TV that is so bad, so off-putting that I must fly to my keyboard to denounce it. Beauvois's is such a picture. The comment likening it to a French Trainspotting is apt, but it's more like Les Nuits fauves, because of the HIV-Positive status of the lead character. Then there is the homage to Rebel Without A Cause, and indeed all movies that have angry, self-destructive and UNINTERESTING heroes.

This man's short life is like a train-wreck. Failed art student, hopeless army volunteer, drug dabbler (why? we never see much reason for this behavior), finally for this bisexual there is an attempt at love with a stable woman whom he abandons at the first sign that it might work.

Chiara Mastroianni is photographed lovingly; her golden skin tone like a Renoir nude. She opens out the story, makes it sensual, vital instead of claustrophobically focussed on Beauvois's miserable urges. Roschdy Zem's talent goes unused, he's just there to demonstrate the use of certain drugs. Pity.