I really don't know what's all the fuss about especially that it was a box office. In my opinion, it's not meant for everyone to watch. Not everyone would enjoy a film discussing an unpleasant social phenomena that's taking over modern societies. I was hoping for something to happen all through the movie and that what kept me watching it to the end. Nothing's happened and that was the good part. All the characters feel lonely and can't really communicate, including the protagonist.

I bought this movie very largely on the basis of the IMDb rating of 7.0. I find that, in almost every case, the score on IMDb is almost always very close to the blind score that I give a movie after I've watched it (having forgotten the rating on IMDb). I guess all this shows is that I have quite "average" taste in movies.I expected that I would like this movie and, in some respects, I did. The acting was by and large quite excellent, the cinematography was wonderful, every shot being beautifully framed, the script and the dialogue were also excellent. But, here's the thing. Rarely does a movie so badly miss getting to the bloody point.Young Louis came home to tell his family that he was dying of some unspecified disease and amid all the bitching of arguing among his appalling family, he never gets around actually to telling them. I think I can understand this. Given the utter awfulness of his family, especially the maniacal brother Antoine, I think I might have been inclined in the end to give them all the finger and a parting greeting along the lines of "F**k you all" but this really didn't work in the context of a movie where so much more was expected.For the record, I expected an emotional about face after Louis told his appalling family that he was dying but we never even got near there.The whole movie was MOST unsatisfying and I'm afraid it's very unlikely that I'll ever bother to watch it again. It'll sit in my collection gathering dust and I'll probably forget I ever watched it in a few months; at least I hope so.Don't waste your time on this one. It wasn't actually all that bad but I have rarely before been so utterly disappointed by any movie.JMV

This is the latest film from Xavier Dolan who continues to surprise with his very human stories. This time he has gone for an 'A list' of French talent. The story is from the stage play of the same name and is about Louis (Gaspard Ulliel 'A Very Long Engagement') who is a successful writer; he has not been home for twelve years and has now only returned to announce that he is dying – but he does not know how to do it.On arrival at his home he is met by his family, mother, older brother and much younger sister. His brother, Antoine, played by Vincent Cassel is a man who seems to have got more than his fair share of life's anger but has married a shy creature – Catherine – played by Marion Cotillard in a way that she owns the role, it is completely convincing. The whole day is played out in linear format as the characters stumble into each other always seeming to be on the edge of imploding.This is not an easy to watch movie as the tension can be uncomfortable but that makes it a better film for it. This is real 'Arthouse' in that it takes a different path to many that have gone before and is becoming a welcomed trademark of Xavier Dolan.If you liked any of his previous films then you are probably already sold on this, if you are new to him then switch off any expectations and let this film seep into your psyche, it will be worth the effort.

"Juste la fin du monde" or "It's Only the End of the World" is a co-production between France and Canada in the French language. The director here is Canadian filmmaking prodigy Xavier Dolan and it is his newest work. it is probably also the film with the most big names in the cast by him, such as Oscar winner Cotillard, Bond girl Seydoux and Ulliel, Cassel and Baye also have their fare share of Hollywood productions in their bodies of work already. So it is maybe a bit surprising that this film was not received as well as most of Dolan's other works. Or maybe it is not because it frequently doesn't work out when it actually should. Then again, I myself enjoyed these slightly over 90 minutes for the most part. It is the story of what happens when a terminally ill young man comes back to his family and has the intention to tell them about his disease. However, they are more than busy with their very own struggles and conflicts they have with themselves and each other.I personally really like Cassel, Seydoux and Cotillard, so I was looking forward to this film. Given my personal bias there, it's probably a bit underwhelming that I would say it was just a good movie. Baye was fine too, but Ulliel didn't do too much for me. The only scene/moment I quite liked with him is when we see him wink at his brother in the "Dragostea din tei" scene. This is also somewhat only scene when the family is in something that can be considered close to a state of harmony and I think this was among the best scenes of the entire movie. It was nice to see the two characters dance so enthusiastically and carelessly before it all went back to drama and destroyed idyll afterward very quickly. I also liked the flashback scene there, certainly more than the one later. The best friend story line, also with the death, felt a bit rushed in and it did not have any real emotional impact as a consequence in my opinion. Cassel probably gives the loudest performance of the movie, but I think he was a good choice for the character. Cotillard gives the most quiet performance and she was convincing too.I think some people may have a problem with this movie because it is really almost always the same from start to finish. The scenes with all five together always result in arguments, tears and screaming and the big final scene is no exception to that and it includes really nothing too different that what we saw before. But to me it wasn't a problem at all, not just because I like the actors, but also because it felt pretty authentic. The tension rises, but why would entirely new things happen. I also think it felt accurate that the protagonist kept silent eventually about his illness. Favorite performance is difficult for me to pick as I really liked everybody except Ulliel. However, I must say that Léa Seydoux looks so stunning right now and is still so extremely desirable, even if she plays a pretty wrecked character. The tattoos sure help matters as well, also due to personal preference. Shame the camera became blurry when she is topless. What a waste. I personally would say that the core plot theme about one character dying also could have left out and it really would not have made too much of a difference, at least for me. Maybe people who won't like the cast as much as I do will not enjoy this one as much, but I think those who like at least one cast member a lot here should check this one out. Finally, the Moby song at the end is a good song, but it did not work half as well in the context like the aforementioned "Dragostea din tei". Overall, the good outweighs the bad and this film is worth watching, especially for the really tense final conflict scene. Another strong addition to Dolan's body of work. And I also like films like this one here where the focus is on not too many characters and where there are no forgettable supporting characters. The awards attention may have been slightly too much though, especially at Cannes.