Tout est Parfait (Everything is Fine)

The debut film by Yves Christian Fournier is not a happy movie as its title is sarcastic and absolutely is one of the few Canadian or better Quebecois movies that I have seen lately that are visually impressive while telling a strong drama.

The movie tells about Josh coping and grieving the almost simultaneous death of four of his close circle friends. It is a simple story developed without melodrama and with some unexpected twists. Actually I was trying to guess what happened, but the visuals and story got so interesting that before half the movie I forgot about guessing and just ride the intense voyage into the most natural tearless grieving. That’s how good the movie is and how can engage and make you feel with visuals and flashback storytelling.

Performances are very good as most are done with expressions, but what’s truly outstanding are the cinematography, framing, overexposed lensing and visual compositions, which honestly I believe are not common to Canadian cinema. Then has not much dialogue, silences, and very slow pace plus doesn’t have a traditional ending that makes it also very different to many Canadian movies.

This totally art cinema or art house movie was screened in competition at the Panorama section of the 2008 Berlinale and won the Grand Jury Prize at the New Directors Showcase Competition of the 2008 Seattle International Film Festival.

Absolutely not for all audiences you have to like art house or art cinema with a not so easy to watch drama that its essence is a teenagers suicidal pact. I left to the end the essence of the movie as it’s a mild spoiler, but decided to include it as is in the very beginning of the movie and well, the only one we really do not see –just hear- was so unexpected that I jumped from my seat.

I liked the movie a lot more than I expected because of the visuals and pace, but actually also because the story it tells and how is told, as I found the story very interesting and engaging especially since a little before half the movie. Most interesting and good was that the writer and director didn’t go into explaining anything, all is left for you to imagine… as actually the suicidal pact is not what this movie is about. Great!

Enjoy!!!