EVERY THING WILL BE FINE

US/Germany, 2015, 119 minutes, Colour.
James Franco, Rachel Mc Adams, Charlotte Gainsbourg,
Directed by Wim Wenders.

Director, Wim Wenders, would not have imagined 40 years ago that his entry to the Berlin Film Festival of 2015 would be an American film, set in Canada, rather conventional in its style, with a great deal of feeling, even sentiment - which did not exactly endear him to the Festival audience or to Germans.

This is the story of a novelist, played with quite some feeling by James Franco, different from many of the roles he usually takes on. He is in an unhappy situation, relations-wise, with Rachel Mc Adams. He has taken some time off, spending it in the ice and snow with a group of workers, getting material for a novel.

The key event occurs almost immediately, a little boy sliding out from the snow into the path of his car. He is shocked, takes the boy, gives him to his mother, Charlotte Gainsbourg, who makes a frightening discovery. This affects the novelist, but he is exonerated from any blame by the police for the accident and the mother is extraordinarily forgiving, although she blames herself for being absorbed in a novel (Faulkener’s As I A Dying, which Franco had directed in its film version!) and not noticing the evening coming on and the children at play.

The screenplay has three time jumps, a two-year period, to four-year periods.

This means that we can follow the life of the novelist, the effect of the accident, his contacting the mother, offering to do anything that he could, comforting the mother who goes through a ritual of burning the novel to purge something of her guilt.

During these time gaps, the author begins a new relationship with a woman who has a daughter, rather outgoing and precocious, who likes the novelist and would not be unhappy to have him as her stepfather. Another key event happens, rather more low key, when the group go to a fair, enjoy the rides, but witness the collapse of one of the carriages and the novelist lifting the carriage so that the injured person can be retrieved. His partner is quite moved and, then, upset that the novelist is so phlegmatic in his response, even to reading a book calmly – and she refers angrily to the effect of the previous accident on him.

In the last period, the boy of the accident has now grown into a teenager, puzzled about the novelist and his role in the accident, writing him a letter wanting to meet him. He has not told his mother, but she discovers the letter and urges the novelist to meet with her son. Which he does. In the meantime, he has married, the stepdaughter is growing up, and there seems to be some happiness in this family life. At one stage, he encounters his previous lover and is surprised by her unexpected reaction to him

There is something of a bizarre incident towards the end of the film which disturbs the wife, but it is something which helps bond him to the young man and his hopes for the future, even to being a writer.

The film was made in 3D, effective in its way, but seemingly unnecessary for this kind of film. It is an American film of sentiment, probably pleasing for most audiences, but still rankling with those who have put Wenders on a pedestal and cannot forgiving forgive him for making such a conventional entertainment.

1. The title, the tone, experience, sentiment, hope?

2. The Canada settings, the seasons, the ice and snow, the accident on the road? Spring and summer, warmth, sunlight? The homes, the streets, the publishing house, the concert hall? The musical score?

3. The career of Wim Wenders? His narratives, his documentaries? This film as particularly American in tone and sentiment?

4. A slow-burner, the cumulative effect of characters and incidents, plot twists and developments?

5. Thomas as the focus, James Franco’s presence, the initial waking, in the caravan, in the snow, the fisherman, on the jetty, driving his car?

6. The dramatic impact of the accident, his partly paying attention, with the sudden appearance? The drama of finding the boy, alive, walking home with him, carrying him, seeing his mother inside the house, and her reading of the book? Her immediate question as to where was Nicolas? The other son, under the car, dead? Grief?

7. The effect on Thomas, the reassurance of the police? The effect, over the years?

8. The phone calls to Sarah, the accident, his blunt telling her that he did not want to carry on? Leaving, drinking, the pills, taken to hospital? Phoning Sarah, the visit? His wanting to come home?

9. Two years later, the mother and her son, the care for him, Thomas and his visit, the discussions, phoning him, his going to see her, her tenderness, kindness and forgiveness? His card, the gift of the religious book, but it not having an effect? Her wanting her own ritual, tearing up the book by William Faulkner that she was reading, that she should have brought the children in? The farewell, that they would never see each other again?

10. The passing of four years? Thomas not with Sarah? With Ann, picking up her daughter from school, the precocious girl, happy, seeing the woman reading Thomas’s book, getting the autograph? Going to the fair, enjoying it, the accident and Thomas lifting the weight for the woman to be retrieved? Ann and her hand trembling, wanting some emotion, Thomas and his being phlegmatic, reading the book, Ann talking about the memories of the accident, his saying she was accusing him?

11. Four more years passing? The mother, her professional drawing? Her sketching Christopher, the discussions, his story about the main falling and blaming the dog? And his wanting to be a writer? At college? Writing the letter to Thomas, its tone, his wanting to meet, to resolve questions from the past? Thomas’s reply, hesitation, saying that he could not have emotional disturbance because he was finishing his book? The mother seeing the letter, phoning Thomas, requesting him to meet her son?

12. The meeting with Christopher, issues of blame, memories, whether Thomas used his carrying Christopher on his shoulders in his novel? Thomas explaining creativity, the sources for ideas? Christopher saying he wrote better books after the accident? The request for autographs of all the books?

13. Thomas, his father, his visits, the father’s character, getting old, dressing for the outing, in the car, his wanting to sit by the river?

14. The publisher, encouraging Thomas over the years? The achievements? Fame? Going to Toronto, the award of the prize?

15. Going to bed, the urine on the bed? Ann and the daughter going to her parents? Thomas waiting, Christopher outside, setting the drink, his coming in, their talking? The mother selling the house, going to England? Christopher and his riding his bike away, some satisfaction?

16. The final close-up of Thomas and his smile – and some hope for the future?