Review of Incendies (2010) by Maksim B — 04 May 2011

Incendies is a mesmerizing and striking human and family tragedy loaded with a tremendously strong emotions, which only wait to burst out and to stun the audience. It is uncompromising and shattering story of religion, humanity and politics, which does not leave your mind at peace long after its final credits.

Rarely, such a simply set movie is so complex in terms of story-telling. In a delicate manner director Denis Villeneuve builds-up loads of emotions and tension in his forth-and-back story, not providing even a small hint for this quiet mystery. A family mystery which suits as a background for a fierce clash between morality, religion, politics and personal choice. Incendies portraits in a stunningly convincing way the religious and the ethnic insanity of the Lebanon civil war and its devastating effect on people and on a young woman's fate. As it further develops the story arrives at its inevitable climax ( I am not going to spoil it, though) and brings up the dilemma of the righteousness of reaching a personal catharsis by revealing a tragical truth.

When the truth is finally revealed, it nestles in the audience mind for long, enough to feel the tragedy, the rage and the pain of everyone involved in this story.

This is a piece of breathtaking brilliance and it should have won the Award for Best Foreign Language Movie. And though it did not, it is one of those very rare movies, which could not be forgotten.....