"Everything we will never be again."
"You don't owe anybody a special kind of death. You choose what's best for you, not for the living."
— Bent
More than Ever (Plus que jamais) is a French/English-language drama film directed by Emily Atef. It stars Vicky Krieps, Gaspard Ulliel (in his final film role) and Bjørn Floberg.
Hélène (Krieps) and Matthieu (Ulliel) are a happily married couple whose relationship is put to the test when Hélène is diagnosed with idiopathic lung fibrosis (IPF), a rare lung disease. Though Matthieu tries to remain optimistic and supportive, Hélène is increasingly wan and resigned. She becomes deeply interested in a cancer patient from Norway, Bent (Floberg), who blogs his end-of-life under the name of "Mister", and wants to travel across Europe to visit him.
The film debuted at Cannes 2022 in the Un Certain Regard section. It was theatrically released in France in 16 November 2022.
Tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: By the end of the film Hélène is adamant that she doesn't want the lung transplant, meaning that she might die in the near future. Matthieu returns to France following a teary goodbye and it is unknown if or when they will physically see each other again. But she has physically and emotionally reconnected with him and is more secure with her body and fate.
- Catfishing: It's not romantic between them, but Bent is older and gruffer than Hélène expected from the pictures on his blog. He clarifies those were photos of his roommate.
- Coming and Going: How to feel about sex when one partner has a deadly illness is a recurring motif. Early on Hélène and Matthiew try to have sex but she needs to bow out because she can't breathe, frustrating her. They have a much more fulfilling encounter near the end of the film, despite the fact that — or because — Hélène has accepted her likely death.
- Commonality Connection: Hélène becomes attached to Bent, even though he's a stranger on the internet, because nobody else in her life understands how it is to have a deadly disease.
- Her Heart Will Go On: Invoked, then defied. Hélène asks Matthieu to leave her because she thinks that he would be better off without a wife who isn't waiting around to die — he can start over and have a new family. He retorts that this way of thinking is incredibly hurtful to him.
- Incurable Cough of Death: Hélène starts wheezing and coughing to the point of debilitation whenever her disease gets very bad. Justified, as this is a symptom of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which thickens your lungs and makes it difficult to let air into the airways.
- Inspirationally Disadvantaged: Defied; the cancer patient Bent deletes all comments on his blog about how brave he is, finding them condescending.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Thirtysomething Hélène platonically bonds with the elderly Bent over their shared experiences with disease.
- Jitter Cam: Shaky camera work during Hélène and Matthieu's hike, emphasizing both their fractious emotions towards each other and Hélène's poor physical state.
- Scenery Porn: The film features jaw-dropping scenery of the European countryside on the train, culminating in some beautiful Norwegian fjords. Mister's documentation of them is part of what draws Hélène to him in the first place.
- Symbolic Serene Submersion: Hélène has a rare lung disease that might kill her and frequently imagines herself floating or sinking in water to symbolize her apparent acceptance of this fact. Later, she takes happier swims in the Scandinavian daylight as she rediscovers her spirit.
- Your Days Are Numbered: Explored. The protagonist Hélène is a woman with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis that may or may not be terminal (her only longterm option is a lung transplant). She resents how everyone perceives her as delicate, to the point that her mom can't get through a video call without crying and her friend doesn't even want to tell her she's pregnant. She also rejects her husband's optimism about her prognosis and instead sets about trying to die well.
