See You Up There

In the final days of World War I, a deadly misjudgment on the battlefield triggers consequences none of the men could foresee. Lieutenant Pradelle orders a reckless assault that ends in catastrophe, and two soldiers forge a bond that crosses class, ambition, and survival. Édouard Péricourt, a gifted sculptor, saves his companion Albert Maillard at a steep personal cost, a choice that binds their fates long after the guns fall silent. They return to a society eager to forget, yet haunted by the costs of war and the lies people tell to protect themselves. Pradelle pursues a profitable path, mirroring the survivors’ struggle to adapt to peacetime. The film examines memory and greed in a changing world.

Directed by Albert Dupontel, it adapts Pierre Lemaitre's Au revoir là haut. This 2017 French drama blends war and dark satire, anchored by Nahuel Pérez Biscayart and Dupontel, with a production budget around 23 million dollars and a wide French release, distributed by StudioCanal in many markets.

Reception to See You Up There centers on its sharp, unromantic look at postwar life and the cost of survival. Critics highlight the duo's uneasy alliance and the film's moral questions about memory, wealth, and social upheaval. The performances, especially Biscayart's empathy and Dupontel's iron control, stand out. Critics praised its fearless examination of class and memory, though some found its tone unyielding and its narrative dense.

The film's visual style and satirical edge left an impression on audience and filmmakers who discuss how postwar greed intersects with national memory. Scenes of reconstruction, public feasting, and quiet grief have been cited as representative of a French cinema that refuses easy heroism. Its meticulous production design and restrained color palette reinforce the mood, pairing the grotesque with tenderness.

Box office: The film earned about 15.1 million dollars worldwide on a 23 million dollar budget, signaling a modest commercial performance. It did solid business in France and Europe, with interest in international arthouse circuits, but it did not recoup its production costs, making it a bold yet polarizing entry in French cinema.