Time To Leave

(Le temps qui reste)

2004, French, 81 mins

Stars: Melvil Poupaud, Jeanne Moreau

Director:  François Ozon

Ratting: ★★★★

This is one of those rare movies that reach into the depth of our souls to show us a poetic portrait of our humility and ultimately our humanity.   This movie captures that bittersweet journey someone diagnosed with cancer must tread in order to come to terms with one’s own mortality.  This is a beautifully written, masterfully directed, and superbly acted film that takes you on an extraordinary voyage into the heart. 

It follows the story of a very successful late twenty something photographer (Melvil Poupaud) at the prime of his success in Paris named Romain who is diagnosed with cancer and how he comes to terms with it as he tries to put his life in perspective.  Filled with heart wrenching masterful scenes especially the one where he goes to visit his grandmother played by the great Jeanne Moreau.  I saw this movie several years ago after I faced my own diagnoses of cancer and spent a summer undergoing chemotherapy that was successful as it is now in remission.  To reveal anything else about the story or plot the lines would interfere with the journey it takes you on as a viewer.