French with English subtitles
Fast earning himself the reputation as France's most prolific director, François Ozon returns with a new film less than a year after the last one, the wonderful 5x2. Yet nothing feels rushed in Time to Leave, the second in Ozon's planned trilogy on the subject of mourning. As with part one (Under the Sand), the film has more sincerity and less irony that we might sometimes expect from this director. Romain (Melvil Poupaud), a good looking young fashion photographer with a successful career, a cute boyfriend and seemingly everything to live for, collapses during a shoot. His initial concern that he might have AIDS is obliterated by a diagnosis which reveals untreatable terminal cancer. Faced with the knowledge that he has only a few months to live, he decides to tell no-one except his grandmother, who he chooses to talk to because she herself is close to death. As Romain bears the weight of his knowledge alone, we see him struggle through anger and denial, to reach an acceptance of sorts. To Ozon's credit, Romain is never sanctified or made heroic, and the reconciliations he makes are with himself rather than with others. Time to Leave is an intimate, minimalist and moving work in which Melvil Poupaud excels in the demanding central role, physically diminishing before our eyes. (London Film Fest)
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