Friendship between two old men becomes love. Slightly-unkempt, tired, and frail, Philippe Lanctot moves into a rest home. The administrator says she wants him to be happy, but that seems far from his mind: he's waiting to die. Then, into his room, unannounced, rolls the voluble Victor Laprade, who draws out Philippe over the next few months. Victor gives Philippe the gift of experiencing the moment. In return, the well-heeled Philippe organises field trips to dinner and to a botanical garden, and, unknown to Victor, becomes the man's benefactor when Victor's children get stingy. The openly-gay Victor also pushes Philippe to acknowledge feelings he's always kept suppressed.
Acting
Roux and Godin's prickly chemistry feels lived-in, not performed.
Writing
Dialogue that lets silence do the heavy lifting.
Director
Anne-Claire Poirier
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Poirier was a rare female voice in 1980s Quebec cinema; this was her only fictional feature after decades in documentary.
The botanical garden sequence mirrors Philippe's emotional thaw — structured, hidden, then unexpectedly lush.
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