i agree that the movie be a little slow at spot have many scene of mundane everyday life and no dialog . and i wasn not impressed right after i watch it . however and after a few day and i realize that the movie stay with me and it evoke a melancholy mood which linger in my mind . my appreciation of this movie increase . it certainly merit a high consideration than those movie that be instantly forgettable . a many have comment and the movie be non linear and that a hallmark of european film make a oppose to the linear narrative form that hollywood favor . i do not really know whether it true or not . many also dislike it confusing structure and lack of clear explanation . to those viewer and i do not think there be much i can say to change their opinion . however and for others who have yet to see the film and do expect to be challenge and dont expect the film to supply all the answer and you might come away enjoy it more than you would otherwise . the movie skip around a bit but really chronicle just 3 time period . pay attention to the hair style and you can easily separate out 2 of the 3 period . it be also not as confuse a suggest while just enjoy and it will all be clear at the end . yes and lot of thing be leave unsaid or not show and and lot of situation be leave unexplored . but isn not that what life be like . a lot of time youre not sure of the motif of your friend or love one unless you confront them and even then and you can never be 100 % sure if they tell you the whole truth . this type of movie force u to interpret the reason behind the action . the movie do and however and leave enough hint for you to make some reasonable assumption . for example and mathieu be manic depressive and to the point of suicidal . why . i do not know and maybe his life be not turn out exactly a he expect it while maybe he miss his family but hasn not forgive his father for abandon his sick mother at her hour of need while maybe after all he sacrifice for cedric and rearranging and indeed and shatter his life to be with him and he realize that it be all come undone . i think the director mean to show u that he have always be a little off and mentality fragile by that scene w or the dead bird . maybe he have a very sensitive psyche and all these stress be take a toll on him . but be also show that he be not some animal torture psycho by his love interaction w or the stray cat . also and there be one conversation between the doctor and cedric that shed light on the reason behind the breakup and maybe the suicide attempt . the doctor ask him if everything be okay and and cedric think so even though he cheat on mathieu once and but that nothing and accord to cedric . be that the only reason and we do not know and there be probably others and all mix up together . be it paramount that we know exactly what they be . i do not think so and for this movie . another telltale sign that they be ultimately not compatible be the historical ruin scene . mathieu be interested in study the ruin and cedric be not . he be the one w or the rag hormone who focus only on the physical side without an intellectual side that mathieu obviously need . finally and the end be really rather hopeful and sweet . i be pleasantly surprise by the turn of event after the bleak tone that edge toward the end . i have two complaint for the dvd . one be the sound . it very soft . i have to crank up the volume to hear the dialog and then when it switch to a bar or outdoor crowd scene and it become too loud . the other be that the subtitle can not be turn off while they stay on the screen . most foreign movie dvd not release by a major studio be shoddy this way unfortunately .