The drama is centered on Rémy, a history professor, who is terminally ill. Rémy Girard plays him, and he is the same actor who played the same character, much younger, in Arcand's "Decline of the American Empire." Other characters from that film are reunited by the actors who originally played them. Now, as the professor's old friends, they gather to help him approach the end. It is a great filmmaking idea carried out to perfection.

In context, there are other important relationships. Rémy's son Sébastien, played effectively by Stéphane Rousseau, has had issues with his dad, and when he returns it is a new opportunity to establish a rapport before his father's death. There is also Rémy's ex-wife Louise (Dorothée Berryman), who still has affection for him despite his years of philandering, and one of the key characters, Nathalie, a young drug addict who aids Rémy, is movingly played by Marie-Josée Cruze.

What makes the film so special, in addition to the across-the-board top level acting, is Arcand's witty approach to the material. He is a writer and director who enjoys humor, and he has a perspective on life, politics and important issues, which he infuses into some of his characters. This is a film for adult minds, and by the end, one is has been exceedingly touched emotionally. Arcand has gone on record as saying he believes that the right to die will become one of the most important issues of the new century. He also sees it in the context of the changes taking place in Canada and the world as a whole, which have spawned his title.