Review of I've Loved You So Long (2008) by Kelly V — 27 Apr 2012

I've Loved You So Long is a very serious and suspenseful movie that keeps you guessing the whole time. My favorite thing about this film was the way actress Kristen Scott Thomas portrayed Juliette. As seems to be common in French films, she did not say much throughout the film, but instead seemed to always be taking in her environment and keeping herself quiet and reserved. It gave a lot of depth to her character because she seemed to constantly be deep in thought about everything going on around her.

Director Philippe Claudel is a professor of literature at the University of Lyons and was a novelist before attempting directing for the first time with this film. He is best known for his novel Grey Souls, for which he won the Prix Renaudot. Since Iâ(TM)ve Loved You So Long, he has also written and directed Tous Les Soleils in 2011.

One idea in this film is trying to love someone who does not fit in with society. In many American films, only the intelligent, skilled, and attractive characters are loved; characters who do not fit this mold are typically the enemies. Julietteâ(TM)s sister is very quick to fall back in love with her, but the rest of her family is slow-to-warm-up, especially as they find out about her past. The potential employers with whom Juliette interviews demonstrate the difficulty in accepting someone who has spent a long time in jail, but in the end it seems as though it is possible to love those who do not fit into society.

Another idea is the extent to which secrets should be kept from the people you love. By not telling her secret, Juliette faces the stigma of having been a murderer, but once she opens up to her sister, their relationship can grow without hesitation. In this way, Juliette can further her relationship by not keeping secrets, but this is not something that comes easy to her because she has to face the secret in order to confess it. In American films, telling the truth is generally accepted as the solution to any problem. In this film, being honest does not bring back Juliette's son and only improves her relationship with one person, so it is questionable whether the struggle that it is to reawaken the memories is worth the incomplete resolution that it brings.

The costumes and the music in this film added to the main ideas. Juliette's wardrobe changed with her acceptance into society. At first, she wore clothes that were much to big for her, which could be symbolic of how small she felt in this huge world into which she was reintroduced. As time progresses, her clothes begin to fit her better and tend to cover less skin, representing her move toward openness and comfort in the world. The music was used sparingly in this film, and is mainly included only when the mood is supposed to be happy. It is included when the girls are visiting the zoo, but as soon as the older child brings up the imprisonment of the animals, the happy mood ends, and so does the music. When the family goes to the country for a family reunion, this same guitar playing reappears, but fades when the other adults begin to ask Juliette about her background.