Loïc’s disappearance is the dramatic foundation the film relies upon, but Lioret allows other stories ample time to develop. Philippe Lioret, the director, paced this film well. His performance captures the essence of suburban fathers who worked too much and cherished their children too little. As the stoic father who insisted Loïc pursue more “practical” work than playing guitar, Merad reveals a profound guilt as the film progresses. Kad Merad is another stand-out performance, having received the César for Best Supporting Actor. Her performance embodies the film’s larger depiction of people suppressing tragedy for fear of letting it disturb the comfort of normalcy. Laurent is subtle and careful in choosing which expressions will cross her face. As Lili, she communicates a woman quietly wrestling with the uncertainty of her life and the lives of those she cares about, namely Loïc. While watching her performance, one can understand immediately why this was Melanie Laurent’s breakout role. Taking place in the banal setting of a French suburb, the film grounds itself in a realism with genuine insights into young adulthood. Though dramatic, these hardships could strike any young adult. Je Vais Bien, Ne T’En Fais Pas excels in its portrayal of slice-of-life turmoil. The threat of a mediocre future is emphasized by the presence of her friend Léa, who also works at the supermarket but attends the prestigious SciencesPo, and her parents’ pleas for her to return to university. On top of her medical and familial struggles, Lili’s future seems stunted in her job as a cashier at a local supermarket. Though she ostensibly recovers, her subtle but difficult relationship with food becomes another metaphor for the tumult she experiences. Unable to cope with this sudden unrest, Lili develops an eating disorder and is committed to a psychiatric facility. Loïc’s strained relationship with his father, who was against his aspirations to be a guitarist, looms over the family dynamic. Upon arriving home from a month abroad in Spain, she discovers that Loïc has disappeared and her parents are alarmingly content to do nothing. Je Vais Bien, Ne T’En Fais Pas focuses on Lili’s battle to find stability as her surroundings are upheaved. Lili’s struggles, punctuated by such blasé reassurances, show her to be far from fine. At the end of each postcard is the phrase, “Je vais bien, ne t’en fais pas,” (don’t worry I’m fine) which colors the film with a moving irony. Lili Tellier receives postcards from her twin brother, Loïc, as he wanders from city to city after having left during a heated argument with their parents.
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