Juste la fin du monde is a play that enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1990's while the AIDS epidemic was still raging. A mother and her two sons and daughter settle down to a long day of anger and recrimination as her eldest son Louis returns to the family home after a long absence. So long an absence that he doesn't recognize his sister-in-law Catherine, while his brother sulks and spouts insults towards everyone. The film version makes what I believe is a grave error in casting: Vincent Cassel, 50ish, plays Antoine who is the elder brother here. Since Cassel is almost 20 years older than Gaspard Ulliel (Louis), and since the first born son is usually the one favoured by his mother, it doesn't make much sense to have Antoine bitching about his brother's supposed advantages in life. Louis should be the one vehemently protesting the raw deal he got in life.
If birth order is of no concern to you, I'd like to say that Nathalie Baye gives another superb performance as the mother. She's a gold standard now among French actresses. Lea Seydoux does well as the confused, lonely Suzanne. Cassel and Ulliel do the best they can with their parts.
If birth order is of no concern to you, I'd like to say that Nathalie Baye gives another superb performance as the mother. She's a gold standard now among French actresses. Lea Seydoux does well as the confused, lonely Suzanne. Cassel and Ulliel do the best they can with their parts.