I've Loved You So Long

I've Loved You So Long (2008, dir. Philippe Claudel; star. Kristin Scott Thomas)
1hour 57 minutes

Saw this Saturday night with Steph, and we split a diet pepsi and some popcorn.

**** SPOILERS AHEAD ****


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I've Loved You So Long is a new film from France that concerns a woman who gets out of prison after 15 years, serving time for murder. She goes to live with her younger sister, who was not allowed any contact with her sister during that time. Kristin Scott Thomas plays the newly freed woman, in a fairly emotionless performance until the last 5 minutes.

My problem with the film is simple; instead of actually caring about the characters and the story, all I actually cared about was who she killed, and why she killed them. We find out fairly early on that she killed her own child, and the fact that she plays a doctor made me suspect that euthanasia was the "why." And in the last 15 minutes or so, I found out that I was correct, though not fully correct. Because although Scott Thomas' character did euthanize her son, for valid reasons (the condition is never really revealed, though it must have been bad), she apparently never told anyone that that was how and why she killed her son. This serves only to support the feelings of the character, while not being realistic in any way (it also ignores the fact that her method would have been discovered in any halfway competent autopsy, which would be mandatory in any case of homicide). For me, anytime I am more concrned about the contruction of a film, rather than the film in and of itself, signals that the film isn't all that good to begin with.

2 1/2 stars out of 5.

Upcoming movies in the next week

Moulin Rouge - 2001, Baz Luhrman; Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor. Playing at the Mayfair on Thursday (probably won't see, though I've never seen it, and I'd like to).

I've Loved You For So Long - 2008. Kristin Scott-Thomas. Opening at the Bytowne on Friday. Not sure who the director is, but Kristin Scott-Thomas is supposed to be really good as a woman reunited with her sister after having been in prison for 15 years for a brutal murder. Was playing at Starcite in Gatineau for the past few weeks, but without English subtitles. (will probably see)

Role Models - 2008. Paul Rudd, Stiffler, McLovin. [I figured those names would mean more than the actors' real names]. Opens Friday at any theatre near you. There's a few good laughs in the trailer, so who knows, I might see it.

Shoot the Piano Player - 1960, Francois Truffaut. Truffaut's second feature demonstrates his love for old Hollywood crime films. Playing at the Bytowne next Monday, and if you're a fan of French new Wave, you have to go see it. (Will definitely see)