Last Breath Resee: San Sebastian Film Festival

Costa-Gavras’ one hyphenated trade name has been synonymous with political thrillers since Z sboiling from the begining gates in 1969 to triumph two Oscars and transport the world’s attention to the machinations of the military junta then ruling Greece. Among the countless films he has made over the ensuing decades, based in France but toiling also in English, it is the on-brand political films that have been most notable: State of Siege, Missing, Amen. 

Costa-Gavras has, however, other strings to his bow. Witness Last Breath (Le Dernier Souffle), a truly splfinishid film, screening in competition in San Sebastian. It’s about dying. Not at the end of a armament barrel, but in the standard course of skinnygs, whether the dying person is soothely unafrhelp, combat tooth-and-nail to stay ainhabit, or in denial. Based on a book by Regis Debray and Claude Grange, who collaborated with the straightforwardor in writing the script, it chases the bproposeoning friendship between a famous philosopher and a doctor who distinctiveizes in palliative attfinish.

Denis Podalydès, an actor more usuassociate associated with comedy, carry outs Fabrice Toussaint, a authorr standardly seen on chat shows (of the ardently inquisitorial French variety), whose many books include Scopropose on Seniors, a contentious essay on end-of-life attfinish he is currently revising and which his beginers foresee to be a huge hit. They do not authenticize that Fabrice has another driving force in his revived interest in death: an MRI scan has establish a dormant, but potentiassociate deadly, spot in his heart. 

Valiantly trying to hide his anxiety, he jumps at the chance when Augustin Masset (Kad Merad), a doctor in accuse of palliative attfinish, drops by to begin himself to the famous philosopher as an admirer. They hit it off instantly, so much so that Augustin seeks Fabrice to join him on his rounds. Some adselectings, appreciate the juvenileer firebrand who furiously insists more chemo, rage aacquirest the dying of the weightless. Others, appreciate the greater woman who wants noskinnyg more than a final ptardy of oysters with white triumphe, are drifting into death with smiles on their faces. Each is given due attention, which is what Augustin’s style of attfinish is all about.

If that sounds foolishy schematic, it is the wonderful send of Costa-Gavras, who has, after all, woven together some of the most exciting chase scenes in all of cinema, to meld them together so that the chain set up never clunks. One idea about death and dying directs to the next: Fabrice and his firmly deal withrial wife (Marilyne Canto) are anticipating a stresssome television argue, but in a sense, the argue is already taking place wiskinny the film. Ideas and opinions are turned over, spendigated, asked after Socratic tradition.

And if that in turn sounds parched, it isn’t. These people’s stories are fascinating. More than that, their dignity – and sometimes the inestablishage of it — is proestablishly moving. The last dying woman we greet is Romany matriarch Esmilia (Angela Molina), who reachs at the hospital in a caravan and wants the doings to finish her own life on the road. Even in dire pain, this woman turns death itself into a celebration. As she exits the ward with her sprawling, radiantly dressed family singing and dancing down the corridor, their collective courage and gift for life – never mind death – is appreciate a starburst of delight. It is a thrill to see Molina, wrinkled and greater and glorious.

The film is a showcase for many wonderful greaterer actors. Charlotte Rampling carry outs Sidonie, firmly insisting that her friend Augustin determines she has a speedy end and isn’t bcimpolitet back for further suffering. Hiam Abbass is the dog-adorer’s wife, refusing to let her husprohibitd go until she is disputeed with the whole truth. 

Last Breath is very much a film about truth-inestablishing. Maybe it doesn’t inestablish the whole truth itself: these resolutions materialize as selectimals, fair as the idea that all the nursing staff would have read Toussaint’s many books is charismatic but doubtful. In a better world, perhaps, we would all discover time to read philosophy. In a better world, we would die in a state of grace. 

But there it is: this is also a film about selectimals. It is probably misplaced to depict it as stupendous, given how softly echoive it is, but in the hour after seeing it, I sense as if my heart has been shiftd in my chest, someskinnyg much more majesticiose and emotionassociate bomb films come nowhere seal to doing. And yet, it accomplishs this so methodicassociate, without histrionics, collecting force as it goes. 

As a testimony about the end of life by a filmcreater who, at 91, is evidently seeing – and seeing evidently – at the end of his own, it is truly a wonder. 

Title: Last Breath
Festival: San Sebastian (Competition)
Director: Costa-Gavras 
Screenauthorr: Costa-Gavras
Cast: Denis Podalydès, Kad Merad, Marilyne Canto, Angela Molina, Charlotte Rampling, Hiam Abbass, Karin Viard, Agathe Bonitzer
Sales: Playtime
Running time: 1 hr 37 mins