Après la vie (2002)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Lucas Belvaux

Writer:

Lucas Belvaux (writer)

Release Date:

8 January 2003 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

In the final chapter of director Belvaux's trilogy, Pascal, now a disgraced cop, seeks redemption by capturing Bruno, a fugitive with a strange connection to Agnes, Pascal's heroin-addicted wife.

Plot Keywords:

Fugitive | Drug Dealer | Manhunt | Husband Wife Relationship | Terrorist

Awards:

8 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Dominique Blanc	...	Agnès Manise
Gilbert Melki	...	Pascal Manise
Ornella Muti	...	Cécile Rivet
Catherine Frot	...	Jeanne Coste
François Morel	...	Alain Costes
Lucas Belvaux	...	Bruno Le Roux
Bernard Mazzinghi	...	Georges Colinet
Olivier Darimont	...	Francis Rivet
Patrick Descamps	...	Jacquillat
Alexis Tomassian	...	Banane
Yves Claessens	...	Freddy
Pierre Gérard	...	Olivier
Christine Henkart	...	Madame Guiot
Jean-Henri Roger	...	Le voisin incendie
Marc Bordure	...	Le flic stup

Also Known As:

Trilogy: Three (International: English title) (UK)
After the Life (International: English title)
Three (UK)

MPAA:

Rated R for drug content and language.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:14 | France:-12 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Agat Films & Cie

Trivia:

Forms a trilogy along with Cavale (2002) and Un couple épatant (2002), the main characters of this one being the supporting actors in the other ones, and vice versa. The three movies have some scenes in common which are shown from a different point of view according to the storyline we're following.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the credits, Catherine Frot is credited for playing Jeanne Costes, and Ornella Muti for playing Cécile Rivet. During the movie, Frot's character is caller Jeanne Rivet, and Muti's character is called Cécile Costes.

Movie Connections:

Follows Cavale (2002)

A trio of films that should be seen en masse...?

Lucas Belvaux's trilogy of films is meant to be taken as one multi-faceted unit, and is best viewed as such. The first (as I saw them), "On the Run," was a `thriller,' with Lucas Belvaux as a terrorist escaped from prison to settle scores and look up an old flame (Catherine Frot). In that film, there were the first glimpses of events in the romantic comedy, "An Amazing Couple." The trilogy ties up with this character study (or `melodrama'), "After the Life" ("Après la vie"), about the relationship between a pathetic and suffering drug-addicted teacher (Dominique Blanc) and her down on his luck and co-dependent cop husband (Gilbert Melki). The thriller was hobbled a bit by it's involvement with the other interwoven stories, but the romantic comedy and `melodrama' work fine as stand alones, and are even enriched by the angles explored and explained by the other films. All three should be seen together. Or, as a friend of mine has supposed, maybe I should just rent Kieslowski's `Three Colors' trilogy instead…?