MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Life and Nothing But

Life and Nothing But

1989 · 135 min

A quiet, melancholy journey through the aftermath of war, where grief and bureaucracy intertwine with tender irony.

Directed by
Bertrand Tavernier
Genres
War, Drama
Starring
Philippe Noiret, Sabine Azéma, Pascale Vignal
Overview
In 1920, Major Dellaplane, a man of honor and ethics, searches for missing French soldiers. He meets Madame Irène de Courtil, a politically connected Parisian, and their paths cross.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: Life and Nothing But

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Bertrand Tavernier
Genres
War, Drama
Starring
Philippe Noiret, Sabine Azéma, Pascale Vignal
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 3 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • grief
  • war
  • identity
  • memory
  • isolation
Places
  • countryside
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror2
Humour3
Realism8
Romance4
Tension4
Darkness6
Complexity7
Emotional weight8

More like this

Titles like Life and Nothing But

Movie

Forbidden Games

1952

A quietly devastating look at childhood innocence colliding with war, told with tender observation and a lingering ache.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and war

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • grief
  • war
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
87 min
Details
Forbidden GamesHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

A Sunday in the Country

1984

A hushed, sunlit afternoon where small gestures and unspoken regrets carry the weight of a whole family's quiet disappointments.

Same writer: Bertrand Tavernier · Melancholic · about identity and memory

Also
Same writer: Bertrand Tavernier
Via
  • melancholic
  • identity
  • memory
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
94 min
Details
A Sunday in the CountryHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Colonel Chabert

1994

A somber, slow-burning drama of loss and betrayal, anchored by a towering performance, leaving a lingering sense of injustice.

Same writer: Jean Cosmos · Melancholic, earnest · about grief and identity

Also
Same writer: Jean Cosmos
Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • grief
  • identity
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details
Colonel ChabertHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Safe Conduct

2002

A richly detailed, leisurely plunge into wartime filmmaking, balancing danger with wit and a love of cinema.

Same writer: Bertrand Tavernier · Melancholic · about war and identity

Also
Same writer: Bertrand Tavernier
Via
  • melancholic
  • war
  • identity
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
171 min
Details
Safe ConductHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Ballad of a Soldier

1959

A tender, bittersweet journey through wartime, balancing gentle romance with the quiet ache of loss and fleeting connections.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and war

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • grief
  • war
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
89 min
Details
Ballad of a SoldierHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Benediction

2021

A slow, aching portrait of a wounded poet, rich with wit and sorrow, that asks you to sit with its quiet devastation.

Melancholic, earnest · about war and identity

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • war
  • identity
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
137 min
Details
BenedictionHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

See You Up There

2017

A visually rich, bittersweet tale of friendship and revenge that balances war's horror with darkly comic swindles.

Melancholic · about grief

Via
  • melancholic
  • grief
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details
See You Up ThereHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Water Diviner

2014

A somber, sweeping journey through grief and reconciliation, with moments of warmth and tension.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and war

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • grief
  • war
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
112 min
Details
The Water DivinerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Messenger

2009

A quiet, emotionally raw look at grief and damaged soldiers, with moments of tenderness and awkward humor amid the pain.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and war

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • grief
  • war
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details
The MessengerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Hiroshima mon amour

1959

A hushed, hypnotic plunge into memory and grief, where fragments of the past keep surfacing through intimate conversation.

Melancholic · about grief and war

Via
  • melancholic
  • grief
  • war
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
92 min
Details
Hiroshima mon amourHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Sarah's Key

2010

A somber, emotionally devastating dual-timeline drama that quietly builds tension as it uncovers painful historical truths.

Melancholic · about grief and identity

Via
  • melancholic
  • grief
  • identity
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
111 min
Details
Sarah's KeyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Fate of a Man

1959

A harrowing yet tender journey through profound loss, anchored by quiet resilience and a glimmer of hope.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and war

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • grief
  • war
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
103 min
Details
Fate of a ManHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
war, drama
Directed by
Bertrand Tavernier
Written by
Jean Cosmos, Bertrand Tavernier
Starring
Philippe Noiret, Sabine Azéma, Pascale Vignal, Maurice Barrier, François Perrot, Jean-Pol Dubois, Daniel Russo, Michel Duchaussoy
Music
Oswald d'Andréa
Cinematography
Bruno de Keyzer
Runtime
135 min
Country
France
Languages
French

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata