AFTER THE LIFE
Directed & Written by: Lucas Belvaux.
Produced by: Patrick Soberman & Diana Elbaum.
Director of Photography: Pierre Milon.
Edited by: Danielle Anezin.
Music by: Riccardo del Fra.
Released by: Magnolia.
Country of Origin: Belgium/France. 124 min. Not Rated.
With: Gilbert Melki, Dominique Blanc & Ornella Muti.

The daily household routine of Pascal (Gilbert Melki) mothering his morphine-addicted wife, Agnès (Dominique Blanc), comes crashing down in the final chapter of director Lucas Belvaux’s The Trilogy. The quietly handsome cop is caught between pursuing an escaped convict, Bruno (the main character in the first film where he’s literally On The Run), and a drug lord. As it turns out, Bruno’s next vengeful target also supplies Pascal with morphine for Agnès’s habit. However, Pascal’s supply is cut off until Bruno is caught. Having gone days without her drugs, a strung-out Agnès hits the streets to score. Through a coincidence that is entirely believable for those who have seen On The Run, Bruno comes to her aid, eventually saving her life. Grateful to Bruno, and reproofing Pascal for letting her down, she offers aid and comfort to the outlaw even as the manhunt’s body count rises. It’s no wonder that Pascal is drawn to Cécile (Ornella Muti), Agnès’s friend and colleague, one of the main characters in An Amazing Couple, the series’ second film.

A huge part of the pleasure of this film is the audience’s foreknowledge of the characters and relationships established in the other two films. However, After The Life does stand on its own, even though many characters, such as Bruno, that are seen in the other films are not as fully developed here. That said, there are a few puzzling plot holes, some of which may not be noticeable at first; such as, why would Pascal allow Cécile, with whom he has fallen in love, to confront alone a presumed drug dealer? And there are a few redundant scenes of Pascal broodily figuring out his next step and the gasping Agnès suffering through withdrawals. With its many repeated scenes, overlapping storylines, and shifting points of view, The Trilogy’s narrative structure may be considered a gimmick, but it’s one that is thoroughly compelling and wonderfully satisfying as all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. KT
February 12, 2004