TIFF25 REVIEW: Gagne ton ciel [The Cost of Heaven] [20XX]

Rating: NR | Runtime: 116 minutes
Director(s): Mathieu Denis
Writer(s): Alexandre Auger & Mathieu Denis

Do you think we all stand the same chance?

Nacer’s (Samir Guesmi) mid-life crisis leads him where many do: a car dealership. He’s had his eye on a Lexus RX for a long time and the salesman sees him caressing its curves on the showroom floor before beeping it open so he can check out the interior. The problem, however, is that Nacer cannot afford to fill the void of shame and anger he feels towards turning fifty with nothing to show for it this way. Sure, he has a beautiful, loving wife and three great kids. Yes, he has a devoted Muslim community who band together to run a summer camp. “Nothing” is having everything he needs, but not enough of what he wants.

I believe director Mathieu Denis and co-writer Alexandre Auger intentionally shroud some truths so that we assume Nacer is a stockbroker. The computer screens at his work all have spreadsheets, he idolizes “Oracle of Canada” Ben Novak (Vlasta Vrana) for his shrewd deals, and he dodges the calls of a friend who gave him $100,000 to invest. It’s not until said friend gets cold feet and asks for the cash back that we realize Nacer is an amateur. He’s read Novak’s books, got inspired by the lore of working hard to succeed from nothing, and thought he could earn his own windfall. His actual broker explains that this hope was a pipe dream.

Inspired by a real 2012 Montreal case, The Cost of Heaven quickly makes good on an early conversation wherein a different friend asks Nacer how he’s doing. The man asks the question again after the answer received carries anecdotes about everyone else’s wellbeing instead. His wife Farrah (Meriem Medjkane) is great. The kids are great. Work is great. “But what about you?” What can Nacer say? That he’s miserable? That this life so many would give anything to have isn’t enough? That his ambition might ruining him? The thing about pride is that you can’t admit your failings out loud. So, you exacerbate them in silence instead.

It’s a one step forward, two steps back scenario wherein fate implores him to cut his losses and cash out. Rachid (Tahar Hadadine) doesn’t blame him for the bad investment, he just wants what he can get back. Thibaud (Adrien Bletton) feels like a cutthroat Wall Street monster willing to bury anyone for profit but looks are so deceiving that he actually warns Nacer not to do what he’s about to do to “fix” everything. One mistake compounds into five. The answer to the first arrives three mistakes too late. So, where else is there to turn besides Ben Novak himself? And if his advice is to fight back ruthlessly, how will Nacer comply?

There’s a lot fueling Nacer’s resentment, so the directions to choose from once Sara Mishara’s camera finishes its 180-degree spin are many. Seeds of racism preventing upward mobility at work could conjure a lawsuit if he finds a lawyer willing to take the case. What about an injury settlement from staging an accident? Taking out a second mortgage? Could he find some way to leverage his debt via a hot stock tip to win everything back overnight? The only option he refuses to consider is asking for help. Nacer has bought into the “bootstrap” narrative so deeply that there’s truly nowhere to go but down.

There won’t be any angels coming down for the It’s a Wonderful Life treatment either. No, the real world carries consequences and it doesn’t matter how nice you are, how many people love you, or how hard you work—a working class person’s choices are instantly set in stone. That’s what too few comprehend and why so many poor Americans are indoctrinated into Trump’s MAGA cult. To buy into the promise of a true meritocracy is to ignore that the game is rigged. Those in control got that power from privilege. Wealth. Name. Race. Gender. To watch Trump’s government is to prove its idea of “merit” is merely white supremacy.

I honestly didn’t consider how Nacer fights back because I forgot how lethal desperation can be. Part of it was Guesmi plays the character with so much heart (even his tall tales carried a warm smile). Part of it was because this specific plan was akin to suicide since he’s neither ruthless enough to cover his tracks nor unmemorable enough to be forgotten. The beauty of The Cost of Heaven is therefore how hindsight often reveals that one’s demise can seem to be wrought with intent. As though their subconscious is tired and knows they must be stopped before hurting anyone more than they already have.

So, there’s a morality tale amongst the social issues that spanning ageism, racial bias, systemic wage theft, and an economic class disparity reinforcing itself by ensuring only those already at the table can afford to be at the table. Should Nacer be able to dream? Of course. But even that act can deceive. We’re fed the “bootstrap” ethos to prevent us from fighting when it might actually matter. Nacer put his head down because the Ben Novaks of the world said work ethic is rewarded. That’s a lie. Work ethic is exploited. If you realize that too late, self-destruction almost becomes inevitable.