(EUFF) Film Review #64: MORE THAN EVER [Screened on 22 May 2023]
European Film Festival 2023
Film Review #64 [Luxembourg]: More Than Ever
*This film review may contain plot spoilers, reader discretion is advised.*
How does one confront their mortality? Faced with the possibility of death, how does one make the most out of their days? In More Than Ever, Emily Atef ponders this through Hélène, who diagnosed with a nearly incurable lung disease, struggles with the ability to continue living normally. Despite the efforts of her husband Matthieu to empathise with her, he is unable to fully comprehend or share her suffering. A further strain is placed on their relationship when Matthieu learns that she plans to go to Norway alone.
'The end' isn’t framed as a depressing eventuality, but a point of acceptance. More Than Ever doesn’t shy away from the subject of death as taboo, instead it approaches it as a familiar stranger, a not too distant future. A sliver of hope presents itself when Hélène learns of the possibility of finding a donor for her lungs, but that also comes with its caveats.
When Hélène chances upon a blog by Bent, another terminally ill person, she forms a strangely close attachment with this total stranger. As Bent aptly puts it, ‘The living don’t understand the dying.’ Among other things, shared suffering is often the bond that brings people together. There’s an empathetic understanding keenly felt between Hélène and Bent, something she isn’t able to fully share with her friends or even husband. Vicky Krieps’ performance, ableit a tortured one, highlights her tenacity in trying to live out as normal a life as possible.
Emily Atef however, builds Hélène to be a strong willed woman in the face of her own mortality, driven by her own stoic nature. Even as Hélène and Bent confront that reality daily, there is a wistfulness they keep about them. Time isn’t spent on lamenting the dreary future, but accepting being in the present. Death is normalised, perhaps as the only way to come to terms with it. Thus, even in the simplest of gestures lie a measure of poignancy, due to the ephemeral nature of it.
The film also meditates on the morality of choosing how one dies, or lives out the remainder of their lives. When Hélène meets Bent, she finds him living out the remainder of his days in simplicity, alone in a house overlooking a fjord in Norway. In the course of trying to find her own path, the serendipity offered by the Nordic lifestyle seems to finally bring her the peace she was looking for. Contrary to giving up on living, the film expresses this as dying on one’s own terms. It commands a certain level of respect, even if you don’t necessarily agree with it.
With Kriep’s subtle but alluring performance in the gorgeous fjords of Norway, More Than Ever leaves us with a lingering bittersweetness. No doubt, the overarching narrative of death casts a rather morose shadow over the film, but the film ultimately seeks to find peace with it, and invites to do the same.
About the Author: Ivan Chin has a penchant for Hong Kong cinema and science-fiction films, but enjoys anything from blockbusters to the avant-garde. His favourite directors include Johnnie To, Denis Villeneuve and Stanley Kubrick. He also fervently hopes to see local films blossom. In his free time, he can usually be found wandering around cinemas.
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This review was written as part of a series of reviews by SFS writers for European Film Festival 2023.
For more films and info on EUFF 2023, visit the official website: https://www.euff.com.sg/
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About European Film Festival 2023:
The European Film Festival (EUFF) is an annual event that showcases a curated selection of European films. The films showcased in this festival may belong to a specific country, but they are all representative of Europe’s shared cultural heritage. EUFF is a window into the intriguing world of European cinema and also offers a platform to young Singaporean film-makers.
More info on MORE THAN EVER:
https://www.euff.com.sg/film/luxembourg/more-than-ever-plus-que-jamais
About the Movie:
GENRE: Drama | Crime
DIRECTOR: Emily Atef
CAST: Vicky Krieps, Gaspard Ulliel, Bjørn Floberg
France Germany Luxembourg Norway | 2022 | 123 minutes | PG13
French, English, Norwegian
M18 | 2022 | French, English, Norwegian w/English subtitles | 122 minutes
Synopsis:
Hélène and Mathieu have been happy together for many years. The bond between them is deep. Faced with an existential decision, Hélène travels alone to Norway to seek peace and meet a blogger she found on the internet.
This review was written as part of a series of reviews by SFS writers for European Film Festival 2023.
For more films and info on EUFF 2023, visit the official website:
https://www.euff.com.sg/
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