MovieChat Forums > Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas (2006) Discussion > Great film, but the ending? [beware of h...

Great film, but the ending? [beware of heavy spoilers!]

posted 17 years ago by zoppo9999
31 replies | jump to latest

I really liked this great acted film until about five minutes before the end. But I'm sorry, THIS ending made the whole plot totally unbelievable for me.

[I suggest not to read any further if you haven't seen the film yet]

So Loic died in a climbing accident. Why, for heaven's sake, would the parents conceal this from their daughter? Apparently for the rest of her life? And, even more mind-boggling, HOW did they think they could pull this stunt off?

Where I live, any deadly accident will be officially scrutinized by the police and district attorney. A whole machinery of authorities is set in motion to investigate the cause of death, until everyone is assured that it was indeed an accident and no other people had a hand in it. So a LOT of people do know about the death, and a lot of other people are asked about the circumstances. Even if you live in total isolation, there's just no way you can bury a person in such secrecy as it is suggested in the film.

Didn't Loic have any friends? (His musician friend(s) never asked about him?) Didn't he go to school? There are no relatives who may ask some questions? Sorry, I know about suspension of disbelief, but when that black gravestone appeared on the screen, the film just disintegrated. A pity.

[–] ridwane 17 years ago

>>Why, for heaven's sake, would the parents conceal this from their daughter?

Loic and Lili were twins and very very close. COnsider the depression Lili actually went through as a result of his disappearance. How bad would it be in the event of his death?

>>HOW did they think they could pull this stunt off?

Their plan was to mail a letter from Loic every once in a while to show: (1) that he's alive and well, and (2) that he HATEs his dad and therefore will never return home

>>any deadly accident will be officially scrutinized by the police

if I remember correctly, the accident happened in Spain (which brings up the question: why didn't they simply bury him there?)

>>Didn't Loic have any friends? (His musician friend(s) never asked about him?) Didn't he go to school? There are no relatives who may ask some questions?

Apart from the friend-neighbour, we do not see any of them.
In my opinion, they were all "in the know" and decided to play along for Lili's wellbeing

[–] zoppo9999 17 years ago

>>Why, for heaven's sake, would the parents conceal this from their daughter?
>Loic and Lili were twins and very very close. COnsider the depression Lili actually went through as a result of his disappearance.

Lili mainly became depressive because her father would not tell her the real reason of her brother's disappearance (she instinctively knew it was not about that "messy room"). To me she didn't make the impression of an instable person who would break down when told the truth. And I just cannot imagine how completely insane parents must be to hide the death of their own child from his sibling.

>How bad would it be in the event of his death?

How bad will it be if she eventually finds out the truth? And she will find out, as she discovered her father's phony letters.

>>HOW did they think they could pull this stunt off?
>Their plan was to mail a letter from Loic every once in a while to show: (1) that he's alive and well, and (2) that he HATEs his dad and therefore will >never return home

Well, it took Lili just a few months to uncover that mailing plot. Do you think she would have stopped her investigation there and give up her brother for good?

>>any deadly accident will be officially scrutinized by the police
>if I remember correctly, the accident happened in Spain (which brings up the question: why didn't they simply bury him there?)

Yeah, that would have greatly diminished the chance that Lili would someday stumble over his grave, like her boyfriend did. :-/

>Apart from the friend-neighbour, we do not see any of them.
>In my opinion, they were all "in the know" and decided to play along for Lili's wellbeing

Ah, the great conspiracy. That's just ridiculous.

[–] cerote 17 years ago

No, the accident didn't happen in Spain (it's Lily who was in Spain, not her brother), nor do the parents say it happened far from where they live.
They only say he was climbing with the UCPA, so it was most certainly in France.

[–] lucvischer 17 years ago

" In my opinion, they were all 'in the know' and decided to play along for Lili's wellbeing"
This is a fair point, ridwane. Do you remember the short dialog when Lili and Thomas drove the first time through the area where the parents lived. Lili said it's looking a bit like in "The Truman Show" !!! That's It!

I only found it very careless from her father that he let his guitar in the car. It could be possible that she would had never found out about the grave, but loics guitar in his car, that was just a matter of time she would discover it. Very Very carless, Dad!...

Very good film, 8 points!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Quentin_Tarantino 14 years ago

Hey, I think she proved herself just fine. I guess your post was made quite awhile ago!

[–] bernhard293 17 years ago

the accident happened far away from the place they lived.
The funeral was in the time, where lily was on holidays.

I think they lied to her because they wanted to protect her.
There are two parents, loving their daughter. We know she is sensitive and loved her brother. We know its false what they did, but they didnt tell her because they loved her. Its about lying and about lying to yourself, as Lily does. In the end she discovers the truth i think.

The film is about family structures, about love and about what you dont tell out of love, because you dont want to hurt someone.
Its also about a young woman getting mature, realising the facts and stopping to fool oneself. The song in the film reveals a key topic of the film. I think it was something like "Lily, step out of your fake world..."

[–] lildette4life 17 years ago

Do you have the lyrics to that song? Maybe I'll just have to rewatch the film and listen carefully, but if you do have them at hand or know of any websites that do, that'd be greatly appreciated.

[–] bernhard293 17 years ago

Hi!
I dont have them, Sorry. Maybe you find them via Google.
Isn't there a soundtrack of the movie?
Best wishes,
Bernhard

[–] bernhard293 14 years ago

The song is from Aaron and is called "U-Turn (Lili)":

Lili,take another walk out of your fake world
please put all the drugs out of your hand
you'll see that you can breath without not back up
some much stuff you got to understand

for every step in any walk
any town of any thought
i'll be your guide

for every street of any scene
any place you've never been
i'll be your guide

lili,you know there's still a place for people like us
the same blood runs in every hand
you see its not the wings that makes the angel
just have to move the bats out of your head

for every step in any walk
any town of any thought
i'll be your guide

for every street of any scene
any place you've never been
i'll be your guide

lili,easy as a kiss we'll find an answer
put all your fears back in the shade
don't become a ghost without no colour
cause you're the best paint life ever made

---------------
Best wishes

[–] redcomrad 17 years ago

what are you talking about, bernhard293? the movie is simply a french movie, by this i mean it just describes a certain atmosphere, with slow and pretty realistic dialogues. The plot sucks, especially in the end, i agree; it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. And yes, we understood the parents did that because they loved their daughter but it's still stupid and the "whole point" of the movie isn't about lying and love it's just about a sad sad family and a nice girl who becomes sad but in the end manages to be happy and find love with a guy who is completely devoid of any charm or charisma. What a nice, happy ending! and what a depressing movie.
the lyrics of the song, U-Turn by Aaron are:

Lili,take another walk out of your fake world
please put all the drugs out of your hand
you'll see that you can breath without not back up
some much stuff you got to understand

for every step in any walk
any town of any thaught
i'll be your guide

for every street of any scene
any place you've never been
i'll be your guide

lili,you know there's still a place for people like us
the same blood runs in every hand
you see its not the wings that makes the angel
just have to move the bats out of your head

for every step in any walk
any town of any thaught
i'll be your guide

for every street of any scene
any place you've never been
i'll be your guide

lili,easy as a kiss we'll find an answer
put all your fears back in the shade
don't become a ghost without no colour
cause you're the best paint life ever made

[–] mattintheweb 17 years ago

Come on, there're plenty of action movies with far more irrealistic plot...

Just think about it : the brother dies during a UCPA session, which means it's very likely that he knew nobody there. So any witness of the accident is not in touch with anyone he (or his sister) knows.
Then, the accident : police, maybe a short investigation, and who is notified of the death ? Just the parents. So if THEY want to lie to everybody around them, they can : Lili, their son's friends, school... Nobody's going to check to the police if the parents say he disappeared. And the police won't go and tell other relatives or friends, just the parents.

Usually, you learn someone's death either from a relative who heard it from another (which is impossible if the first people -the parents- to know lie) or on the newspaper (where it's printed because the family asked).

So even if it may seem far-fetched, I totally bought it when watching the movie (which I thought was great...)

[–] weare_it 17 years ago

"I really liked this great acted film until about five minutes before the end. But I'm sorry, THIS ending made the whole plot totally unbelievable for me.

[I suggest not to read any further if you haven't seen the film yet]

So Loic died in a climbing accident. Why, for heaven's sake, would the parents conceal this from their daughter? Apparently for the rest of her life? And, even more mind-boggling, HOW did they think they could pull this stunt off?

Where I live, any deadly accident will be officially scrutinized by the police and district attorney. A whole machinery of authorities is set in motion to investigate the cause of death, until everyone is assured that it was indeed an accident and no other people had a hand in it. So a LOT of people do know about the death, and a lot of other people are asked about the circumstances. Even if you live in total isolation, there's just no way you can bury a person in such secrecy as it is suggested in the film.

Didn't Loic have any friends? (His musician friend(s) never asked about him?) Didn't he go to school? There are no relatives who may ask some questions? Sorry, I know about suspension of disbelief, but when that black gravestone appeared on the screen, the film just disintegrated. A pity.

Exactly my thoughts. Great movie otherwise.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] blackchineygal 16 years ago

This movie is so amazingly deep. Do you think Loïc's death was an accident? Is it possible that he commited suicide? What do you guys think?

[–] hermionelitt 16 years ago

I think you're being far too rational...I understand your reasoning, but I think the parents just couldn't bring themselves to tell their daughter the truth, it wans't a plan or anything not to tell her ever, they just couldn't...they didn't think it trought, they were mourning themselves.

[–] zoppo9999 16 years ago

I think you're being far too rational...I understand your reasoning, but I think the parents just couldn't bring themselves to tell their daughter the truth, it wans't a plan or anything not to tell her ever, they just couldn't.

Maybe it wasn't a plan at first, but it grew into a gigantic scheme where the father did very rational things to keep the secret.

Argh, this is still unbelievable. I'm angry even a year later. ;-)

Just remember: the brother's death was an accident. It was nobody's fault. Nobody in the family would have to take any blame. They could've mourned together. That's what any "normal" family would do. You can't suppress the death of a close family member forever, that is just IMPOSSIBLE.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] thistimetomorrow 16 years ago

I agree to your comment - In my opinion, the question is not whether the parent's acts are logical - as I think no parents will react logical at the moment their child died.

From the parent's point of view (and without any ethical judegement), everything they do is focused on their daugther's well-being at the beginning. They repress their own mourning in order to protect their other child. I guess it is quite obvious that Lili and her brother were very close. Remeber that the doctor in the hospital told the parents that Lili said that her brother was dead and that she doesn't want to live either, then. Taking this into account, they were scared of losing their other child as well. As a reaction, the father started writing these postcards.

Considering the text on the postcards and all the swearing and insults, the postcards might be deemed to be a self-flagellation of the father, a way of watching the world from his son's point of view, trying to understand him and to confront himself with his son and his sense of guilt, although it is too late.

However, after Lili's recovery, the spiral of lies has led to such a stand-off and not telling her at this time is only due to the parent's own anxiety, in my opinion.

This ambivalent conflict is the interesting thing about the film (aside from Melanie Laurent's outstanding performance of Lili), on the one hand the unethical circle of lies collapsing like a house of cards at the end - I mean you cannot honestly think that your daughter will never find out the truth, and the complete self-abandonment of the father on the other hand, expressing his feelings for her daughter, which he is unable to do in any other way.

In total, one is likely to establish certain sympathies for the father at the end, despite his complete inadequacy, his inability to communicate and his other bourgeoise shortcomings.

[–] LeStratege 15 years ago

On a belated note.

For those of you who don't seem to quite get it.
As someone else already mentioned, the brother died in a climbing accident with noone related to them knowing.
If it's an accident, the police rules it as an accident. The parents are notified and if they're cool with it there is nothing more the authorities will do. So if parents want to conceal the death of their son, they can. There's no district attorney and all that US legal stuff in France. Climbing accidents happen all the time in the Alps, which is hundred of kilometers from Paris' suburbs where they live, just read a local newspaper, but the names are never released if the family doesn't want to.
Why would they do it? It's clear, at the hospital Elise says "If he's dead I want to die too" and that's the whole reason they did it. They don't intend to hide the fact forever, just the time for her to start learning how to live without her brother.

The only thing that one could wonder is, what about the rest of the family (grand-parents, uncles, cousins, etc.). But if she doesn't ask any relatives about her brother we can assume they don't have any.

[–] larrylagger 14 years ago

She's a twin who's really close to her sibling but she can't tell that the handwriting on the postcards is different.
Climbing accidents are reported in newspapers which are all online now. Had she ever heard of Google? One search would have brought up her brother's details. Oh, that's right she worked in a supermarket so she was too stupid to work the Interweb.
The family existed in a vaccuum with no aunts or uncles or grandparents. Very unusual even in modern-day France.

[–] thomasmarty-558-145010 15 years ago

as far as I remember, Loic was already away before his death, maybe even for a long time. they said something, that he "returned home" but went away again. so it could be, that everyone in the area was already used to that he is not here and so it didn't become clear for everyone immediately that he now died somewhere far away.
furthermore, we don't know how long lili has been in spain, maybe it was enough time, so that all the "machinery of authorities" did their stuff before her arrival.
but why didn't they tell lili, maybe they already knew about her maniac depression and knew what it would do with her at that moment, if they told her.
I see your points and I also looked a bit blank right after the end of the film, but on the other hand I just think, the film doesn't tell us everything about the special circumstances this familiy has been in maybe for a long time and made them act like they did. if you extend the plot a bit beyond the border of the spoken words shown in the film itself, the whole story could still be comprehensible.