Review of Headwinds (2011) by Ben D — 15 Nov 2012

This atmospheric and moody film, from director Jalil Lespert, and based upon the novel by Olivier Adam, creates a powerful and unsettling mood from the off - when Paul Anderen's wife fails to return home from work, his life is thrown into freefall. His concerned family bring him back to St. Malo, and there he befriends another man whose life is out of control, and begins an awkward romance with the girl he is teaching to drive.

Not all of this film works as well as the rest - the romantic subplot felt very schematic, and spelt out by a scene of obvious exposition from the girl - and the resolution of another storyline felt very clear from the outset - but these don't detract too much from the central story, winningly played by all involved. There is much to admire in Des Vents Contraires, but I felt with a little more work, it could have been more still.