Review of Incendies (2010) by Mike M — 21 Jun 2011
It's not hard to see why "Incendies" caught the Academy's eye - Villeneuve tackles big historical themes in an unrelentingly serious fashion - but it packages up the unresolved woes of the family at its centre as a plodding genealogical scavenger hunt.
.. While his film isn't quite as simple-minded as Julian Schnabel's "Miral", Villeneuve nevertheless goes after the Arab-Israeli conflict like a kid at the pick 'n' mix counter, grabbing fistfuls of atrocities - the rape and abuse of prisoners, children being shot in the head - to get an effect the wan performances and wildly coincidental plotting can't even begin to get near.
Imagine an episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" bulked out with added maths and carnage, and set to a soundtrack of Radiohead at their most, shall we say, challenging. Yup, it's about that much fun.
This review of Incendies (2010) was written by Mike M on 21 Jun 2011.
Incendies has generally received very positive reviews.
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