REVIEW: Time to Leave (Le temps qui reste)
Time to Leave (Le temps qui reste)
Dir François Ozon
For Romain (Melvil Poupaid), life is going everywhere he wanted. He is a young and upcoming fashion photographer; he does the duty dinners with his family; and has a handsome younger boyfriend. Then, he collapses at a shoot. He has terminal cancer, there is no cure, and so instead of trying chemotherapy in the dim possibility of living longer, he decides to die quietly and without telling his nearest and dearest.
At first, we are almost glad that Romai n i s dying; he acts to hurt everyone around him, verbally wounding his sister. Then he metamorphosises from a shallow person to a much deeper character, to somebody you may like to get to know. It is at this point that you become aware of his pain and the depth of his love for his family and friends when he secretly photographs them. His desperation is clearly visualised as he attempts to hold onto life.
Ozon’s direction is captivating, and you are intrigued from the start. He is out to make the audience observe the intimate thoughts of a man facing death.
11th May 2006