Life and Nothing But (1989)

Intense character study of men and women driven by an overpowering obsession with the past.

Director:

Bertrand Tavernier

Writers:

Jean Cosmos (scenario & adaptation), Bertrand Tavernier (scenario & adaptation)

Stars:

Philippe Noiret, Sabine Azéma, Pascale Vignal

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philippe Noiret	...	Major Delaplane
Sabine Azéma	...	Irène de Courtil
Pascale Vignal	...	Alice
Maurice Barrier	...	Mercadot
François Perrot	...	Perrin
Jean-Pol Dubois	...	André
Daniel Russo	...	Lieutenant Trévise
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Général Villerieux
Arlette Gilbert	...	Valentine
Louis Lyonnet	...	Valentin
Charlotte Maury-Sentier	...	Cora Mabel (as Charlotte Maury)
François Caron	...	Julien
Thierry Gimenez	...	L'adjudant du génie
Frédérique Meininger	...	Madame Lebègue
Pierre Trabaud	...	Eugene Dilatoire

Storyline

November, 1920. 350,000 French soldiers remain missing in action. Major Delaplane tirelessly matches the dead and the wounded with families' descriptions. Honor and ethics drive him; he hates the idea of "the unknown soldier." Into his sector, looking for her husband, comes a haughty, politically connected Parisian, Madame Irène de Courtil. Brusquely, Delaplane offers her 1/350,000th of his time, but as their paths cross and she sees his courage and resolve, feelings change. After he finds a surprising connection between her missing husband and a local teacher, Irène makes Delaplane an offer. This man of action hesitates: has he missed his only chance?

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Plot Keywords:

missing in action | french soldier | presumed dead | post world war one | world war one | 

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Taglines:

Un monument!

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

6 September 1989 (France)

Also Known As:

A Vida e Nada Mais

Filming Locations:

Dugny-sur-Meuse, Meuse, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,600

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hachette Première, AB Films, Little Bear

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The part of Irène was originally for Fanny Ardant but she had to decline because of her pregnancy. Bertrand Tavernier then considered Catherine Deneuve, but she'd already co-starred numerous times with Philippe Noiret. The part ended up going to Sabine Azéma.

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Quotes

Major Dellaplane: Your five minutes were up ten minutes ago.

User Reviews

A great story told in a rather dull fashion

Philippe Noiret plays a military bureaucrat who is meticulously trying to catalogue the casualties of WWI. He and two women cross paths during the excavation of a train that was buried in a tunnel by German explosives. This would make for a great existential movie, but it's all talk talk talk. The dialogue is endless, and, with the long running time, the whole picture seems that way, too. The film would be much more powerful if it demonstrated its themes more visually. Instead, the emotions come off as somewhat flatter than they deserve to be. The production is also poor; it feels like it was made for television. And the musical score is so weak it takes the film down a peg itself. It's still worth watching, but I think it really could have been a lot better.