Review of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1976) by Edith N — 17 Nov 2009

One for the patient, a deluxe examination of life at its most passive and circular. But for those willing to put aside the time, this full-frontal exposé reveals the delicacies of the human being in ways one would never have the chance to see them otherwise.

Dalphine Seyrig clearly puts on one of the best performances of the decade- for three hours we see so much of her that it seems her soul has been stripped bare for us, but Akerman carefully lets us know that there is always more than meets the eye.

Two of the best scenes involve Jeanne preparing food; a poetry of sorts is recited through the deliberate movements of her hands, the way her eyes lock on particular irrelevancies, the rhythm of her breathing.

Revolutionary, and an important experience for those who want it.