It's Only the End of the World (2016)

Louis (Gaspard Ulliel), a terminally ill writer, returns home after a long absence to tell his family that he is dying.

Director:

Xavier Dolan

Writers:

Xavier Dolan (screenplay by), Jean-Luc Lagarce (based on play by)

Stars:

Gaspard Ulliel, Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux

13 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Nathalie Baye	...	La mère
Vincent Cassel	...	Antoine
Marion Cotillard	...	Catherine
Léa Seydoux	...	Suzanne
Gaspard Ulliel	...	Louis
Antoine DesRochers	...	Pierre Jolicoeur (as Antoine Desrochers)
William Boyce Blanchette	...	Louis (15 ans)
Sasha Samar	...	Chauffeur de taxi
Arthur Couillard	...	Petit garçon - avion
Patricia Tulasne	...	Hôtesse
Emile Rondeau	...	Louis (5-6 ans)
Théodore Pellerin	...	Antoine (16-22 ans)
Jenyane Provencher	...	Jeune fille - trampoline

Storyline

After 12 years of absence, Louis (Gaspard Ulliel), a writer, goes back to his hometown, planning on announcing his upcoming death to his family. As resentment soon rewrites the course of the afternoon, fits and feuds unfold, fuelled by loneliness and doubt, while all attempts of empathy are sabotaged by people's incapacity to listen and love.

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Plot Keywords:

incommunicability | illness | returning home | family relationships | gay lead character | 

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Taglines:

Sublime!

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The cast has 4 César winners (Nathalie Baye, Marion Cotillard, Gaspard Ulliel and Vincent Cassel) and 1 César nominee (Léa Seydoux).

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Quotes

Louis-Jean Knipper: There I was, after 10 years, well, 12, to be precise. So after 12 years of absence and in spite of my fear, I was going to visit them. In life there a number of motivations that are no one's business, that force you to leave without looking back. And there are just as many motivations that force you to return. So after all those years, I decided to retrace my steps. Take the journey... to announce my death. Announce it in person, and try to give the others and myself one last time, the illusion...

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Connections

Version of It's Only the End of the World by Jean-Luc Lagarce (2010)

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Soundtracks

Are You With Me
Written by Tommy Lee James, Terry McBride and Shane McAnally
Performed by Lost Frequencies
With permission by Sony Music Canada

User Reviews

Extremely Intriguing, Very Well Crafted & Sad

I found this film intriguing, well crafted, and sad. The subject matter is difficult, and the film's narrative structure was purposefully vague and obscure. To me, it was less of a person's (Louis's) journey, which one often associates with a voice-over first-person narrated film. The film was more family dynamics and the dysfunction between each member of a family. Given that, the way the film was shot with such tight close-ups, and in that autumnal pallet, was very effective. And the repeated shots of the cuckoo clock against that papered wall, with the trapped bird at the end, WOW! A fragile bird, entrapment and loss of freedom, and the passage of time. What an incredible concept so beautifully conveyed cinematically!

Score Grid (out of 4):

Script/Story: 3

Cinematography/Visual Effect: 3.5

Editing: 3.5

Sound/Musical Score: 3

Production Design: 3.5

Acting/Performance: 4

Recommend the film? Yes, but only for film lovers. This is not entertainment per se. If you want to be challenged, this is a film for you. If you want to be entertained, skip.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [UK]

Country:

Canada France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

30 June 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

It's Only the End of the World

Filming Locations:

Sainte-Dorothée, Laval, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$7,400,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,231,823

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sons of Manual, MK2 Productions, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1