In a cove near Marseille, a corner of the village overlooking the sea, overshadowed by a villa and, higher up, an august viaduct where trains pass by,
in the dead of winter, Angèle, Joseph, and Armand gather around their aging father.
A patriarch, who gazes at the view from his balcony while smoking a cigarette that he knows might be fatal, is suddenly struck by a stroke. He does not die but falls into a lethargy that causes him to lose his autonomy. The imminence of his death prompts the reunion of his three children, Armand (Gérard Meylan), Joseph (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), and Angèle (Ariane Ascaride), essentially calling back Robert Guédiguian’s troupe.
The eldest runs the modest port restaurant but is considering closing it as the village is emptying. Joseph is a laid-off executive: a bitter smooth talker with sarcastic outbursts. Lastly, the younger sister. She is an actress, lives in Paris, and returns reluctantly to this region laden with grim memories for her.
It is time for them to assess what remains of the ideals he had passed on to them, the world of fraternity he had built in this magical place, around a working-class restaurant that Armand, the eldest son, continues to manage.
One could summarize the meaning of the film in two questions: Was it better before or not? To leave or to stay?
The answers provided are tentative and emerge from this fluid, choral story, with the action skillfully reignited by several dramatic episodes.
Newcomers from the sea will shake up their reflections, through the discovery of refugee children, hiding in nature, which awakens what conscience can be, the sense of solidarity, and the spirit of community.
Fortunately, there is the time that remains, the urgency of the present. Despite the prevailing melancholy, hopes linger, the ending remains open…
