Sumith Prasad
In Netflix’s romantic-comedy movie ‘Good Grief,’ protagonist Marcus “Marc” Dreyfus learns a startling truth about his late husband and renowned author Oliver. After the death of his better half, Marc opens a note the former had written for him before starting his journey to Paris. After the funeral of Oliver, Marcus reads the note, which offers him an insight into the secret life his husband had been leading in the French capital. The note not only convinces Marcus that he had been wronged in the relationship but also affects his memory of the man he loved so dearly for a short time! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Oliver’s Last Words
Oliver’s note, although not planned to be, can be seen as his last words to his husband Marcus. In the note, he explains that he met someone who had become an integral part of his life. Oliver wanted to explore his relationship with the same man to find out what the future holds for them. The man mentioned in the note is Luca, with whom Oliver has been having a relationship in Paris. They had been living in an apartment in the city leased by the author without letting Marcus know about it.
Rather than startling Marcus by letting him know about his other relationship face to face, Oliver chooses to open up about it through a note to minimize the secret’s effect on his partner. The note, however, is not a breakup proposal. Oliver makes it clear that he needs a discussion about his togetherness with Luca. He must have wanted to keep his husband in the loop while he ponders over his interest in exploring what he has been cherishing with his German lover. Oliver wanted to sit and talk with Marcus after his Paris trip about where they stand as a couple regarding the Luca predicament but tragically, he dies right after giving the envelope to his husband.
The Intricacies of Oliver and Luca’s Relationship
Marcus and Oliver had been in an open marriage. Even after marrying Oliver, Marcus was fearful of losing him. To ensure that he wouldn’t lose his better half, he let the latter have occasional flings during his business trips. Marcus believed that these flings would satisfy any desire Oliver would have to be with someone else, ensuring a healthy relationship between the two married men. Since these sexual encounters were supposed to be meaningless, Marcus didn’t worry about them, although he never wanted to know anything about them as well. He was under the impression that these men would exist for only a day in his husband’s life as well.
Oliver might have hit it off with Luca believing that their relationship would begin and end with a one-night stand. If they had bid adieu to one another after meeting once or twice, even Marcus may not have described it as “cheating.” Oliver did betray Marcus’ trust in him by building a secret life with Luca in Paris. Rather than a one-time or even an occasional fling, Oliver treated Luca as a partner, which made his actions “cheating.” If he hadn’t gotten an apartment only to live with Luca, Marcus may have given his husband the benefit of the doubt since it is possible that the author wrote the note soon after dreaming of a life with his younger partner.
The secret apartment makes it clear that Oliver started having an emotional attachment to Luca several months ago. Nevertheless, he might have hoped to convince Marcus to accept his young lover as a part of their relationship. Upon meeting Marcus, Luca tells the former that Oliver loved him with a sense of assurance. Oliver might not have wanted to lose such a love he cherished wholeheartedly enough for his other partner to be assured about it. The author must have wished to convince Marcus that the artist is the love of his life irrespective of his interest in exploring another pathway of his life with Luca.
Marcus may know that Oliver likely never wanted to be separated from him. That can be the reason why the artist doesn’t hate his late husband even after knowing about his affair. Upon restarting to paint, the first portrait he creates is of Oliver’s. Marcus’ decision to celebrate the life and beauty of Oliver makes it clear that their relationship had the strength to overcome the latter’s togetherness with his young lover.
