Review of Illegal (2010) by Neil A — 22 Sep 2011

Anne Coesens delivers a powerful performance as Tania, a young Russian mother who lives in Belgium. When she is denied permanent residence in the country Tania resorts to desperate measures in order to hide from the authorities, but even those measures may not be enough.

Olivier Masset-Depasse has created a poignant tale of a very current subject. He has used official reports as well as interviews of immigration officials as a basis for a tale that is not atypical in todayâ(TM)s Europe. Taniaâ(TM)s story might have easily become a powerful emotional drama, but Masset-Depasse opts to approach a touchy subject with cold analytical detachment and an almost documentary kind of aesthetic style. The absence of manipulation is truly commendable.

âIllegalâ? challenges many emotional assumptions on illegal immigration and points out at many illogical aspects in the system that handles the phenomenon. The movie does- of course- have a certain amount of political agenda behind it, but it concentrates more on asking questions than on making declarations. Through logic and honesty this piece emerges as a relevant and extremely compelling creation that will force you to think about the subject matter yourself.