Watch Heal the Living

Heal the Living is a French drama film, released in 2016, directed by Katell Quillévéré, based on the novel of the same name by Maylis de Kerangal. The movie stars Tahar Rahim, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Anne Dorval in lead roles. The story of the film is centered around a group of people whose lives get interconnected by a single event. A young boy named Simon (Gabin Verdet) and his friends go on an early morning surfing expedition on the coast of France. During the outing, Simon suffers a terrible accident that leaves him in a coma.

At the same time, hovering over Simon's hospital bed, his parents are grappling with the overwhelming decision of what to do next. Though the news is not good, the medical team tries their best to keep him alive, and as they struggle to sustain him, Simon's fate is in their hands. His parents are devastated and must soon decide whether to donate his organs.

The narrative of the film then shifts focus to the team of medical professionals tasked with the organ transplantation process. Claire (Anne Dorval), a transplant coordinator and Jeanne (Emmanuelle Seigner), the head of the medical foundation, work alongside each other to facilitate organ donation from a deceased person to a patient in dire need of it.

It is at this juncture that the film presents an intimate peek into the lives of those affected by Simon's tragedy. The characters portrayed in the movie come from different sections of society, yet all have their worlds turned upside down in some way. Simon's parents, for example, struggle with the guilt of having been unable to prevent their son's accident, while the medical team's daily routine includes the careful management of their patients' lives and deaths.

Heal the Living is highly emotive, heart-wrenching, and thought-provoking in equal measures. It addresses several pertinent issues within the healthcare system, notably the intricacies surrounding organ donations, the moral dilemmas and ethical questions surrounding the process, and the varied emotions experienced by those affected.

The movie takes the audience through Simon's entire journey, from his care in the hospital to his eventual death, and ultimately to the moment when his organs are harvested to save other lives. Throughout the movie, the audience is presented with the elegance of the human body and its incredible ability to heal.

Katell Quillévéré masterfully directs the movie, providing a clear vision for each character relating to the story's central tragedy. The camera work in the movie is simple, with many tranquil shots of the sunlit beach and ocean waves, which is a marked contrast to the tone of the movie's narrative.

The cast in Heal the Living is incredibly powerful, with Tahar Rahim delivering a restrained yet moving portrayal of Simon's father, Vincent. Vincent's grief is palpable, almost tangible, as he seeks solace in the memories of his son's life. Anne Dorval's performance as Claire is equally outstanding. Her calm demeanor in dealing with a frantic situation is awe-inspiring, and her frustration with the system is evident in her voice and expression.

The film's soundtrack, composed by Alexandre Desplat, is remarkable, with appropriate music themes and slow, meditative notes that add to the film's emotional weight.

In conclusion, Heal the Living is a poignant and moving film that beautifully illustrates how, even during the darkest moments, hope and compassion can prevail. It is a unique offering from Katell Quillévéré that forces the audience beyond their comfort zone and explore issues that, albeit painful, are needful. The movie is not for the faint-hearted, but its beauty and message about life affirming hope are indeed worth the watch.

Heal the Living is a 2016 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9 and a MetaScore of 82.