Incendies


3/4

Starring: Lubna Azabal, Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Remy Girard

Rated R for Some Strong Violence and Language

Going into this film, I knew almost nothing about it.  I picked it at random because I needed a new movie to review, and this seemed the best choice, and the one the most readers would be interested in (I’ve seen all the new mainstream releases).  “Incendies” was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 2011 Academy Awards (it lost to “In a Better World” from Susanne Bier), so I figured that had to be reliable enough (not that Oscar means the pinnacle of quality…”Shakespeare in Love,” anyone?).

The mother of twin siblings Jeanne (Desormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Gaudette) has died.  In her will, their mother Nawal (Azabel) requests that they track down their father (whom they thought dead) and brother (whom they never knew they had) and give each of them a letter.  In the course of their journey, they learn about a few dark things in Nawal’s past.

This is a slight and subdued film.  That’s okay; it suits the material, but just about every foreign film is like this for some reason.  The storytelling issues are another matter entirely.  The story intercuts three different stories, and this aspect of the film is not particularly well-executed.  Scenes start without any context, and sometimes scenes seem to be missing.  The film gets better in this respect as it goes along, but the first half of the film is quite confusing at times.

The performances are all solid.  The one who has the most screen time is actually Nawan (although her story is presented in flashbacks).  Azabal gives a nicely understated performance, but she is a compelling anchor, and when she does emote, she is quite credible.  Desormeaux-Poulin is also good as her daughter, who wants to follow her mother’s instructions in both spirit and letter, unlike her brother.  Gaudette is solid as well as Nawal’s rebellious son.  To him, his mother was an oddball who annoyed him, and therefore she should be buried as simply and as normally as possible.

Director Denis Villeneuve has a keen sense of atmosphere and visual style, but his storytelling needs work.  In addition to the confusion caused by the editing, the metaphor of “1+1=2” is confusing and unnecessary (it does become clear, but not until long after the movie is over).

The film’s final stretch is its best part.  This is a sad story, and the twist at the end is even moreso.  That being said, it could have packed a bigger punch if Villeneuve didn’t keep his characters at an arm’s distance.  We don’t really feel for any of them, so we watch the events unfolding in a detached perspective.

Despite everything, the film is worth seeing.

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