When it comes to secrets, it is undeniable that some should remain unsaid, since the aftermath of certain revelations can have quite a harsh impact if whoever is receiving it is not adequately prepared. In the case of family secrets, we often feel we are entitled to know the truth about those we share our lives with, but they can often shake up our entire perception of reality in ways that we may not be ready to hear. This is the foundation for Just to Be Sure (French: Ôtez-moi d’un Doute), in which director Carine Tardieu tells a hilarious and heartfelt story about a middle-aged man who is dealing with the recent death of his wife, as well as helping his daughter through a challenging pregnancy, only to come to learn that the man he was raised to believe was his father is actually not biologically related to him, and that he is instead the product of someone else that had a relationship with his mother around this time, leading him to seek out the man who supposedly is his father, which brings about many unexpected challenges, some of which he was not entirely prepared to confront. A very funny film with a deep sense of melancholy, Just to Be Sure tells a lovely story that has a few jagged edges that prevent it from being entirely predictable, and instead allow it to pursue a range of other ideas over 90 delightful minutes, making this a very simple film with a big heart, which is perhaps a hackneyed concept, but one that is perfectly appropriate for wonderfully quaint comedy that goes in several different directions, but manages to be extremely profound and meaningful in all aspects. We find ourselves increasingly transfixed by this film, which dares to tackle some broad subjects with consistency and honesty, proving to be a wonderfully effective examination of family and identity, as well as the intersections that tend to exist between them, which makes for profoundly moving and captivating viewing, the likes of which can make for a truly terrific film.

Family is a subject that has been explored countless times on film, so much so that even remarking on it seems unnecessary. It is one of the five primal themes of art that we see universally, across every conceivable medium (with the others including childhood, love, death and faith), and thus there isn’t always much that can be said about this subject that we haven’t seen countless times before. However, the challenge here was not to create a film that ever intended to be unique or do anything never seen previously, but rather one that tells a heartfelt story that draws us in and allows us to become invested in the journeys of these characters, which is an easy task to accomplish when there is something truly valuable driving these stories, which is the case with Just to Be Sure, especially in its more intimate moments. To be clear, this is not nearly as inventive or meaningful a film as we may initially imagine, and every moment where it seems to believe itself to be bespoke is retreading a common point of conversation seen elsewhere. However, this doesn’t mean this film is unoriginal, but rather that it is tapping into something innate, a delicate and meaningful sense of humanity that may not be particularly exciting from a distance, but at least has some value in how it values the more meaningful aspects of the story. Tardieu is not particularly celebrated, but she has a solid body of work that consists of only a few films, each one is praised for its fervent honesty and incredible sincerity, even when they may be somewhat derivative. These are the components that help us understand and appreciate what is transpiring throughout Just to Be Sure, since its simplicity and deeply moving and quite profound, much more than we may have initially expected at a cursory glance.

Just to Be Sure is a film that can only work with the right amount of attention to detail, both in terms of the narrative and how it functions holistically. There is an emotional complexity that drives a film like this that needs to be discussed since it is the key to understanding precisely why this film is so engaging in how it handles some tricky subject matter. There is very little way to deny that what keeps this film afloat is the genuine sense of heartfulness – this is not a particularly original story, and it most certainly cannot be considered revolutionary in any way. However, it does have a few more abstract ideas that are carefully interwoven into the narrative in ways that can be quite surprising, some of which we don’t initially expect but which nonetheless exist in a very potent, meaningful form, which adds so much incredible nuance to this delightful film. In addition to celebrating the concept of family, Just to Be Sure is a film about the human condition and the connections we make with those that surround us. For some, life is all about these interpersonal relationships, whether they are with our closest family members, most cherished friends or strangers, since something is compelling about a blending of ideas and experiences that can feel so rich and meaningful. This is the basis for many of the film’s most curious details, which are well-curated and genuinely quite meaningful, even when we can predict the direction in which it is going on more than a few occasions since it was very unlikely that a more downbeat ending would ever be a possibility for such a film, especially not one driven by such a genuine sense of earnest compassion for its characters. On a purely emotional level, Just to Be Sure is quite a special film, and earns a lot of merit for its active efforts to examine many of these more complex but still very common ideas.

In terms of the performances, Just to Be Sure features actors who are more than capable of handling this challenging material, and who have the necessary blend of comedic talents and genuine empathy to take on all sides of these characters, representing a very earnest depiction of humanity through these simple but meaningful characters. François Damiens leads the film, and is a terrific anchor for the story – his incredible sensitivity and ability to capture the inner nuances of his character makes him a perfect protagonist, especially since he is more than willing to show an emotional vulnerability we don’t often see from actors from that generation. His comedic talents seamlessly blend with his heartfulness, which adds layers to an already very intriguing character. Acting across from him is a tremendous cast, with Cécile De France proving to be as lovely as ever in her role as the prickly doctor who slowly falls in love with the man who may or may not be her brother, while veterans Guy Marchand and André Wilms hold court as the two men who lay claim to being the protagonist’s father, each one bringing a different sensibility to their respective roles, but which oddly work exceptionally well together, since they are so contrastive it becomes a scenario where they are almost complimenting one another. Wilms, in particular, is the heart of the film, playing the part of a man who realizes that he may have another son, and chooses to do his best to make up for lost time. The cast of this film is splendid and brings so much humanity to a story that needed commitment from every one of these actors, since it is a character-based comedy that can only be successful with the right performers standing at the helm, which is precisely why it feels so rich and compelling, despite its undeniable simplicity.

On the surface, Just to Be Sure doesn’t seem to be anything particularly noteworthy – it is a comedy about family, based around a very simple premise that is not at all groundbreaking, and which features a fairly predictable structure, hitting all the narrative beats that we would expect. However, this is only a cursory analysis of what constitutes the majority of this film, since if we look deeper, we find that there is a lot more complexity to the story than we initially imagined. It does indeed take a bit more time to develop many of these ideas, and they aren’t always entirely obvious – but in terms of purely honest, meaningful storytelling prowess, this film is very effective, especially when it comes to exploring the theme of family, making use of a very emotionally resonant story to examine these universal concepts in a way that is endearing and enthralling. It may be driven more by simplicity than anything else, but there is so much value in what this film aims to achieve, it becomes an excursion in seeing just how far it can go with this trivial concept, developing it into a charming and often quite exciting comedy that actively intends to do something that at least will feel like it is touching on an innate aspect of the human experience. It’s a film that never takes itself too seriously, and makes sure that we know that it is aware of its limitations – but rather than surrender to these aspects, the film dares to develop itself in a way that is compelling and entertaining, bringing together a terrific cast to interpret a hilarious screenplay, one that carries a lot of meaning in between its very obvious setpieces, becoming an enthralling and actively engaging comedy with a lot of heart and even more honesty.