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SummaryHeal the Living follows three seemingly unrelated stories that carefully weave together: a French teenager and his friends on a surfing road trip that leads to tragedy; a woman in another town who learns that her weak heart is beginning to fail and action must be taken; and two teams of doctors and medical experts who struggle through their day-t... Read More

Heal the Living

Metascore
82
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
My Score
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Metascore
83% Positive
10 Reviews
17% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
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  • Positive Reviews
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  • Negative Reviews
Apr 29, 2017
100
The Telegraph
Throughout, Quillévéré keeps asking her cast for the impossible, and gets it.
Apr 9, 2017
100
Variety
It’s Quillévéré’s soaring visual and sonic acumen (with an assist from composer Alexandre Desplat, here in matchless form) that suffuses a potentially familiar hospital weeper with true grace.
Apr 12, 2017
90
Village Voice
At once sorrowful and optimistic, Heal the Living captures the terrifying fragility of life, even as it also recognizes the strength derived from the many connections — organic, emotional, and associative — that bind and define us.
Apr 29, 2017
80
CineVue
Quillévéré has created a poignant exploration not just of death, but of life, love and fragility.
Apr 25, 2017
80
Time Out London
The medical side of things is shown in documentary detail, and it’s fascinating.
Apr 9, 2017
75
Slant Magazine
The film allows the sorrows of losing a life and the joys of saving it to remain congruent.
Apr 13, 2017
50
The New York Times
It’s all just empty calories; what this movie desperately needs is conflict.
See All 12 Critic Reviews
User score
Generally Favorable
67% Positive
6 Ratings
22% Mixed
2 Ratings
11% Negative
1 Rating
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Nov 4, 2017
8
LeZee
In the world of medical revolution. Based on the novel of the same name, this French film was unique in many ways. Firstly, it was an awareness film. An awareness about the organ donations. In this medical revolution world, all we need is a little support. A support to our own species who are suffering. Not to waste our precious organs after the death. But it's not all about the deaths, the natural death. There are many reasons for death to happen, but not always the organs are the reason. So it can be transplanted to live on in another body, giving a chance of life. Sometimes, there were sentiments involved. Not because of the love and care shown to those particular persons by their family and friends, but because of unexpected event puts them into such position, where they all can only hope for something miracle. It was like hundred minute long film, but for every 10-15 minutes, it changes focus from people to places and situations. So there's no one particular character the film to follow entirely. All were pieces of the individual's story that in a way connected. This surely a much need film. Because of the story design, especially being organ transplant/donation related theme, they wanted to avoid the emotions as much as possible. Since it's always happy at one side and sad on the other, which might discourage the idea of what this film trying to highlight. A teenager who met with an accident in now treated in the hospital. But it is not a good news for his beloved ones. Literally, he's dead, though kept alive by machines. This is not those kind of coma, we have had seen in the films. The parents have to make a quick decision about what the doctors had suggested to them that is to donate the organs to whom needed them most. On the other side of the tale, a middle aged woman with heart trouble has her own opinion about heart transplant. But she needs to be there for her two young sons. In the meantime, with all the developments, the narration heads to the final segment, where tense moments arise till the final scene. ❝Maybe my time has come. My heart will stop. That's nature.❞ I'm surprised that recently I've watched tons of films directed by women. It's really a good sign. Because stories from women's perspective can flourish in the coming generation, similar to the equal rights revolution happed a century ago in the western world. Considering that, it was a bit late to pick up the pace in filmdom. Not all the directresses make romantic or commercial chic films. Take Kathryn Bigelow as an example, she makes lots better men films than many male filmmakers today. This one was a gender neutral films. I've never seen other flicks from this maker, but seems she's young and very potential, that I want her to make a big entry into Hollywood as well. The details in the film were astonishing. I usually not good at bloods. I avoid hospitals till it becomes a must. What I saw in the final quarter of the film was totally something. Like something I watched in a health channel. Of course it was staged, but very realistic presentation or you could say the demonstration was breathtaking. A few weeks ago in one of my reviews I've mentioned a doctor turned director made a film about his former profession. That was a simple rural based drama. The outside struggle. But this one, take us to the deep into the doctors' the other side of the world. I meant the surgery. I have seen many films like this, but none of them were edgy as this one. A perfect ending for such a film too. So, the film might be a bit under-rated, but it was a much better film than many of the recent ones. It might be under-noticed, but that's because of lack of interest in such themed film among common people. Definitely not because of anything defect in the film. The critics have given thumbs up, so do I. But remember that the film has a story, not entirely about what mostly I've mentioned in most of other paragraphs. So expect less from it and be patience for its slow narration. There's nothing like what I've enjoyed you would enjoy it too. Just give it a try, it is totally worth. 8/10
See 1 User Review
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  • Les Films du Bélier
  • Les Films Pelléas
  • France 2 Cinéma
  • Mars Films
  • Jouror Productions
  • CN5 Productions
  • Ezekiel Film Production
  • Frakas Productions
  • Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF)
  • Proximus
  • Canal+
  • Ciné+
  • France Télévisions
  • Playtime
  • La Banque Postale Image 9
  • Sofica Manon 6
  • La Région Île-de-France
  • Région Normandie
  • Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral Belge
  • Casa Kafka Pictures Movie Tax Shelter Empowered by Belfius
Apr 14, 2017
1 h 43 m
One moment leads to another, one life leads to the next.
Venice Film Festival
• 2 Nominations
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)
• 2 Nominations
Toronto International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
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