‘All of a Sudden’ Is a Wondrous Work About Caring for One Another

Marie and Mari’s kinship, a kind of intimacy without eroticism, is cerebral as well as spiritual: the two eagerly engage in long discussions about capitalism and falling birthrates—complete with whiteboard diagrams—which will demand patience from most viewers. In some ways, All of a Sudden feels more like a heartfelt act of advocacy than a mere movie. The care home Marie-Lou runs is a sprawling establishment, with lush, cheerful grounds. The patients are all neatly dressed and get to spend lots of time outside. Their relatives come to visit them. Some are silent but able to smile and laugh; others make no sound at all, but do not appear to be unhappy. All seem to be benefiting from Marie-Lou’s approach to their care, and they do even better when Mari, at this point seriously ill, comes to stay at the facility, where she runs slightly unorthodox yet effective workshops designed to help patients move and breathe and relax, as well as better relate to one another: in one gently comic scene, a jumble of seniors and caregivers loll on the lawn, giving one another foot massages. If it all seems a bit too idyllic to be realistic, it’s worth noting that the film was largely shot on the premises of a real care facility, and features the participation of many of its residents. The core strength of All of a Sudden is that it’s an expression of optimism. Why can’t we make things better than they are, for the aging and for everyone, particularly those needing special care? After all, at some point that will be most of us. There are no simple solutions, but cultivating compassion is a good beginning.