those who remain (ceux qui restent) 2007 region free dvd5 french bcbc

Those who remain (ceux qui restent) is a film directed by Anne Le Ny, released in France on 29 August 2007. It depicts the relationship that develops between a man and a woman, in a hospital, where one of the wife and companion of another are treated for cancers. Starring Emmanuelle Devos and Vincent Lindon.

Contains movie and Optional English Subtitles. No menus or extras. Regular DVD quality (Not BD, 1080p etc...). Seeding/Feedback appreciated. Thank You.













Synopsis

Bertrand (Vincent Lindon) dutifully visits his terminally ill wife every day, braving the long train and bus ride to and from the hospital. Lorraine (Emmanuelle Devos) not so willingly visits her boyfriend who was diagnosed with colon cancer. They bump into each other during one of their visits and begin to meet for coffee. Coffee turns into Lorraine offering to drive Bertrand to the train station and the two turn to each other in their time of grief and confusion as “Those Who Remain.”



Cast

Vincent Lindon, Emmanuelle Devos, Yeelem Jappain, Anne Le Ny, Grégoire Oestermann, Christine Murillo, Ophélia Kolb, Apolline Bouissières, Agathe Bouissières, Frédéric Rose, Théo Frilet, Pierre Gérard, Xavier Guittet



Brief Encounter (Those Who Remain) Film Review

Posted 22nd May 2008 by Matt Riviera

Released in France last year to glowing reviews, Ceux Qui Restent (Those Who Remain) went on to be nominated for three Cesars, including best first film. Though it hasn't yet made much of an impact on the international festival circuit, the film should play well at French film festivals everywhere: it's a confident and accomplished debut from veteran actress Anne Le Ny, taking on writing-directing duties here for the first time.



Bertrand (Vincent Lindon) and Lorraine (Emmanuelle Devos) meet in a Parisian hospital where they both pay daily visits to cancer patients. Lorraine's boyfriend has recently been admitted for cancer of the colon, while Bertrand's wife has been fighting breast cancer for 5 years. Despite their differences - she is an impulsive graphic designer, he's a high-school teacher finding comfort in routine - the pair bond over their guilt and suffering.



Lorraine struggles with self-loathing as she discovers she'd rather leave her boyfriend than become his carer. Bertrand's hesitant affection is as unexpected a gift as the bitter disappointment of not being the strong, kind woman she hoped to be.



Bertrand is both very much in love with his wife and utterly miserable in the role of a man whose life is passing him by but has no right to complain. To him, Lorraine is a chance to re-connect with the world, a spark of life in the darkness of middle-age and potential widowhood.



Here lies the double meaning in the film's title, which can designate those who choose to remain by the sickbed of their loved ones, those who are left behind after their partner's death, or both.



There are a lot of somber issues floating to the surface of this deceptively simple romance. Set entirely in a hospital, the story unfolds in the shadow of illness and death. Rather than drag the film down however, these dramatic elements are used to cast a very different light on the traditional romantic comedy narrative.



There are many gorgeously upbeat moments, and keeping the ailing partners hidden from the spectators' view ensures that sentimentality is kept at bay. As Lorraine explains to Bertrand after a guilt-inducing bout of furtive sex in the parking lot, in their current circumstances adultery is really the least of their problems.



There is nothing obviously new or original in Anne Le Ny's screenplay, but Ceux Qui Restent shouldn't be dismissed as yet another movie-of-the-week tearjerker. Underestimate this film and you might miss the real story lurking beneath just below the narrative's flat surface. As with Sarah Polley's Away From Her, this is not a story of illness or grief but a story of how illness can hide or reveal people's ability to connect, to trust, to rely on others.



Espousing the traditional structure and codes of romantic storytelling lulls the viewer into a familiar place - we've seen this before, we're confident our expectations will be met, we're comfortable with where the story is headed. So when Anne Le Ny's script takes a discreet but entirely unforeseen turn in the last mile we are forced to confront our habits as viewers raised on formula.



Along with the subtle chemistry between the great Vincent Lindon and Emmanuelle Devos (last paired up in the terrific La Moustache), this capacity to prefer realism over narrative conventions is the strength this sweet and strangely satisfying film.