Time to Leave

The internationally celebrated auteur (8 Women, Criminal Lovers, Water Drops on Burning Rocks) François Ozon has made a haunting and moving companion piece to his exquisite Under the Sand (2000), which showcased Charlotte Rampling as a woman facing the inconceivable loss of her husband. TIME TO LEAVE is another stunning contemplation of human mortality. Romain, a handsome, flourishing Parisian fashion photographer, is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and given only a few months to live. Hiding his illness, he dumps his baffled boyfriend and alienates his close family in short order. Romain finds solace with his uncompromising grandmother (played to perfection by screen legend Jeanne Moreau) and has a chance encounter with a roadside waitress (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, star of last year’s Cote D’Azur) that will lead to an unexpected opportunity. Showcasing the increasingly mature talents of its acclaimed director, TIME TO LEAVE is a gripping, masterfully understated, deeply honest film.