François Ozon's 'Alles ist gutgegangen' with Sophie Marceau on Arte

François Ozon's film 'Alles ist gutgegangen' (Everything Went Fine) will be broadcast on Arte on September 9 and will be available in the Arte Mediathek until October 8. The drama stars Sophie Marceau as Emmanuèle, who receives a call informing her that her father André (André Dussollier) has suffered a stroke. She and her sister Pascale (Géraldine Pailhas) rush to the hospital, where André survives and is expected to recover fully. However, André shocks Emmanuèle by asking her to help him die, despite the fact that assisted suicide is illegal in France. The film is based on the memoirs of Emmanuèle Bernheim, who died in 2017 and co-wrote several screenplays with Ozon. The autobiographical source material gives depth to supporting characters, such as André's estranged wife Claude, played by Charlotte Rampling. The narrative focuses on Emmanuèle's complex relationships with her father and sister, which fluctuate between respect and cruelty. André is a contradictory figure who demands the inhuman from his daughter because he trusts her alone. Ozon wisely refrains from excessive stylistic flourishes, almost entirely avoiding a soundtrack or extravagant visuals, trusting that the true story is compelling enough. The film is produced by Mandarin Production and Foz, with cinematography by Carole Bethuel. The review is written by Matthias Jordan.