Time to Leave (Le Temps Qui Reste) (2005)

76% of critics liked it
(50 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(16,540 ratings)

Diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a short while to live, a successful fashion photographer embarks on one final journey in the second of three films in a trilogy about death and mourning from French director François Ozon (the first entry in the the trilogy was Under the Sand) . After… More Diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a short while to live, a successful fashion photographer embarks on one final journey in the second of three films in a trilogy about death and mourning from French director François Ozon (the first entry in the the trilogy was Under the Sand) . After passing out during a particularly grueling photo shoot, high profile shutterbug Romain (Melvil Poupaud) is shocked to discover that his body has been ravaged by a fully metastasized cancer that will soon kill him. Without revealing the cause for his erratic behavior, the shell shocked Romain commences to alienate his entire family and ditch his handsome young boyfriend before connecting with affable waitress Jany (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) at a roadside café while en route to his grandmother's house. Upon arriving at the home of the one family member he knows will be joining him shortly in death, Romain's naked vulnerability is met with a gentle ear and sound advice. Once again meeting with the kindly Jany on his way to his ultimate fate, Romain and the waitress strike up an unusual bargain. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: François Ozon
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Jul 14, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Nov 28, 2006
Studio: Strand Releasing

Critic Reviews

Ty Burr, Boston Globe
It does absolutely nothing that previous movies dealing with this subject haven't done.
Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News
A beautiful, frank and utterly absorbing examination of death.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
It's affecting.
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post
Sumptuously filmed but rather distant.
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We watch Romain change as he struggles with his mortality and, as he does, we come to care about him.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
Much of the film works to undercut any sense of real emotion.
Beth Accomando, KPBS.org
It's noteworthy for the performances of Melvil Poupard as Romaine and Jeanne Moreau as the grandmother-two people facing their own mortality, and trying to exit this world with grace and dignity.
Anton Bitel, Film4
the 18 minutes of deleted scenes are of unusually high quality, even if their inclusion in the film may, as Ozon suggests, have detracted from its subtlety.
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
Una exploración muy personal, muy íntima y para nada condescendiente sobre la proximidad de la muerte a edad temprana. Muy buen elenco.
Jon Frosch, Film Journal International
One gets the feeling while watching Time to Leave that the feisty director is, for the first time, bored by the story he's telling.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
It's difficult to feel positive about Romain's acceptance of his mortality, because Ozon hasn't convinced us Romain was that alive to begin with.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
takes one of the most tired movie cliches of all time -- "I'm sorry, but you only have a few months to live." -- and turns into to a totally fresh look at what it truly means to live
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
A touching and haunting film that is more uplifting than its central theme suggests, Time To Leave leaves us with much to reflect upon, and consider.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
It's a quiet and poignant look at a life as it slips away, seen through the eyes of a character who's not always likable but remains entirely real.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Director Francois Ozon, who can define physical desire in a swift gesture or extend a moment of self-reflection with acute stillness, has become more confident and specific with each film.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
Those looking for the traditional Hollywood sweetness or payoffs will walk away disappointed, but the rough-hewn film offers riches to those willing to endure its downbeat tale of detachment.
Laura Kelly, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
The story arc from his diagnosis to his death doesn't cover much ground in Romain's life. But his emotional landscape -- the conflicts, the anger, the sadness, the acceptance -- offers much more depth.
Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle
Modern audiences are more likely to find the character's behavior to be extremely frustrating, undercutting any sympathetic response one might have for his situation.
Ryan Gilbey, Sight and Sound
The entire film is a balancing trick, with scenes of potential banality redeemed at the last by a subtle twist or subversion. In their conflicted expressions, the performers prove themselves experts at their own high-wire acts.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

A very moving French film. There wasn't any hollywood type spin to make it extra dramatic, or extra sad...and because of that, the sincerity of the interactions were much more powerful, in my opinion. Quiet, slow, yet not boring. Touching...
Jeremy S

Moving french film of life in the face of impending death.
Arash X

This may lack originality & it has a few ridiculous moments here & there but in my opinion this is how this kind of movies should be, It doesn't feel forced & also successfully avoid cheap sentimentalism & on the other hand it's not one of those vacuous dull… More
This may lack originality & it has a few ridiculous moments here & there but in my opinion this is how this kind of movies should be, It doesn't feel forced & also successfully avoid cheap sentimentalism & on the other hand it's not one of those vacuous dull films for the sake of forced realism or being artsy
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]In "Time to Leave", Romain(Melvil Poupaud) is a narcissistic 31-year old fashion photographer who is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Forgoing the slight chance that chemotherapy would give him at survival, he is resigned to his fate, only telling his… More
[font=Century Gothic]In "Time to Leave", Romain(Melvil Poupaud) is a narcissistic 31-year old fashion photographer who is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Forgoing the slight chance that chemotherapy would give him at survival, he is resigned to his fate, only telling his grandmother(Jeanne Moreau).[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Written and directed by Francois Ozon, "Time to Leave" is a deceptively offbeat stream of consciousness movie about a man who towards the end of his short life, takes a good hard look at his life and what he has accomplished, and finds nothing of interest except an idyllic childhood which was also the height of his relationship to his sister who he is now estranged to. And it is ironic that Romain who hates children(nothing wrong with that, by the way) would like nothing more than to be a child again.[/font]
Daniel P

"...you and I are the same. We're both going to die soon."In Time to Leave (Le Temps Qui Reste), thirty year-old Romain (Melvil Poupaud), a successful fashion photography, is diagnosed with cancer, and… More
"...you and I are the same. We're both going to die soon."In Time to Leave (Le Temps Qui Reste), thirty year-old Romain (Melvil Poupaud), a successful fashion photography, is diagnosed with cancer, and his prognosis is not good. He decides to forego the chemotherapy that would give him a slim chance of prolonged survival, and, unable to tell his boyfriend - who he subsequently breaks up with - or his immediate family, he instead confides only in his grandmother (Jeane Moreau). From there, he tries to find acceptance and meaning in his mortality, and is given an opportunity he never thought he would have after a chance encounter with a waitress. This is a lyrical, intimate and economical film, without even a hint of artifice in the writing or the performances (Melvil Poupaud is surely an actor to watch). Refreshingly free from sentimentality, with realistic characters - Romain is not exactly a hero and doesn't become one in the course of the film - and a script with few words but which has a lot to say. Writer-director François Ozon filmed Time to Leave in cinemascope, an interesting choice for such a small-scale film, but one that rewards with a staggeringly, beautifully shot denouement. A thoughtful, moving film.