Editors note: This review was originally published in June 2021 after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The film opens in New York on Friday and in Los Angeles on April 21.
Beautifully upholstered and decked out with a starry cast, Everything Went Fine (Tout S’est Bien Passé) is a comforting and mainstream commercial film that stands out in the Cannes Film Festival competition. Despite the heavy subject of euthanasia, French director François Ozon delivers a film that is both engaging and emotionally dynamic.
Shortly after family patriarch André suffers a debilitating stroke, the 85-year-old expresses his desire to end his life on his own terms to his daughter Emmanuèle. André’s condition fluctuates between misery and a crabby alertness, but he remains determined to pass on. This becomes the central topic for the family, including Emmanuèle’s sister Pascale and their mother Claude, a renowned sculptress who maintains emotional distance from her husband.
Based on a novel by Emmanuèle Bernheim, the film explores the complex emotions and perspectives of the diverse family members facing this ordeal. Despite the legal restrictions on euthanasia in France, André, accustomed to getting his way, enlists Emmanuèle’s help in discreetly investigating The Right to Die With Dignity organization.
While the family understandably worries about the situation, André embraces the occasion and even celebrates with a fabulous send-off meal at his favorite restaurant. Surprisingly, for a film about impending death, Everything Went Fine is surprisingly easy to watch and digest.
Directed by François Ozon, known for his earlier hits like Under the Sand, Swimming Pool, and 8 Women, the film is skillfully crafted and confidently executed. The dramatic conclusion feels satisfying, and Ozon successfully turns a vibrant man’s death into a happy ending.
Title: Everything Went Fine
Distributor: Cohen Media Group
Release date: April 14, 2023 (NY)
Director-screenwriter: François Ozon
Cast: Sophie Marceau, André Dussolier, Charlotte Rampling, Géraldine Pailhas, Hanna Schygulla
Running time: 1 hr 50 min
