Tout est parfait (Everything is Fine)

Tout est parfait (Everything is Fine)

The film Tout est parfait (appearing in English with subtitles as Everything is Fine), written by Guillaume Vigneault and produced by filmmaker Yves-Christian Fournier, opened in theatres in February 2008.

The movie plunges viewers into the pain of a teenager trying to cope with the suicides of his four close friends. At the same time as the families, the viewers learn of the youths' suicide pact that had excluded Josh, the fifth in the group. Shot in the dullness and gloom of a small industrial town, the film leads us by the hand into Josh's world - his high school, the banks of a winding river, the sad homes, his skateboarding park. The dialogue, in its captivating simplicity, perfectly replicates the conversations of today's teenagers: teens seeking themselves, losing themselves, becoming estranged, finding their way, yet always confined by the overwhelming limitation and daily grind of their environment. Josh, shut up in his silence, is plagued by doubts. Was he aware of the pact? If so, why did he say nothing? Only Mia, the former girlfriend of one victim, and Henri, the aggrieved father of another, prove correct about Josh's silence. In the leading roles, Maxime Dumontier (Josh) was acclaimed for his powerful performance, Anie Pascale (Geneviève, the mother of one of the victims) for her highly emotional one, and Normand d'Amour for his portrayal of the deeply disturbing character of Henri.

This poignant film, which dodges the traps and pitfalls on the question of suicide, was acknowledged on the international circuit: Guillaume Vigneault won best screenplay at the 23rd Namur International French Language Film Festival (2008), Grand Jury Prize at the Seattle Festival (2008), and the Prix Arca (youth cinema) in Giffoni (Italy, 2008); and Maxime Dumontier won best actor at the Festival Angoulême (2008). In addition, producer Yves-Christian Fournier received the PRIX CLAUDE-JUTRA (2009), awarded to a first-time director.