Review of Beau Travail (2000) by Billy S — 14 May 2008

This was absolutely nothing like what I expected, and I absolutely loved it. I haven't seen a movie where a director got into the mind of soldiers like this since The Thin Red Line. Denis Lavant is fantastic with his portrayal of jealousy, and avoids every possible contrivance.

This is my first experience with Claire Denis and I was impressed with her style. The poetry, visual style, approach she takes with her characters are all top notch. She is also apparently fantastic at creating a fitting and bizarre soundtrack, as the music was one of the best features of the film. Oh, and a review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the excellent ending, which was unbelievably emotional for as strange as it was.