Incendies (2011)

In my life there has been very few films that have left me speechless with their story and Denis Villeneuve's Incendies is one those films. It is a work of a talented filmmaker and a storyteller.
I went into this film knowing nothing about it's story and when the film was over i was genuinely shocked. I could not never guessed to see something as disturbing as i saw while watching this great film. There were moments more horrifying than in many of todays best horror films. Here they are never based on cheap shocking or unnecessary violence. These moments mostly involve revelations from the past of the film's main characters and the terrifying reactions they cause in these people. Especially the reaction that film's big revelation causes in the main character Jeanne, is one of the biggest shocks i've seen in any film ever.
Incendies is like a mixture of David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Babel. It has structure of Inarritu's Babel with interlocking storylines and it has the dark and horrifying feel of mystery with echoes of Fincher's Dragon Tattoo.
Villeneuve shows true mastery with his control over material here. He does not use any unnecessary visuals or never does his pace as a storyteller feel rushed. It gives just enough time for characters, story, atmosphere and situations to grow.
From the very first hypnotic and shocking images to the last i watched this film in a complete feeling of awe. Incendies is top notch filmmaking. It works on many levels but it is not entirely without flaws. This film's problem is clearly the end twist. You can see it coming long before the film ends and therefore it loses a bit of it's effect when it becomes more clear. Villeneuve could have also trimmed his film a little bit in the editing room. At times it feels a bit too long for it's own good.
People who are not ready to dive into the dark corners of Villeneuve's stroy, which is based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad, should possibly stay away. This is not an easy film to sit through and it is not supposed to be. While it kept me glued to the screen from the first image to all the way through credits i still cannot say that it is an entertaining film. It definetly tells a story which has magnetic way of pulling us in. It begins as a intimate story about a mystery involving one family and it ends with emotionally draining results. After two hours into this film i felt like i've been scarred for days and i mean that as an highest compliment possible. Even after all those horrifying moments it has, i wanted to go all the way to beginning and once again admire the outstanding structure it has.
Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin is outstanding in a leading role. Her Jeanne Marwan is stubborn and wise woman who is determined to solve the mystery that surrounds her mother's death and legacy. Equally important and impressive is Lubna Azabal as Jeanne's mother Nawal Marwan, whose character has to go through hell to survive in life. There are also very good supporting roles from Remy Girard as an helpful and resourceful notaire and Maxim Gaudette as Jeanne's twin-brother. When it comes to technical feats it is hard to find anything to complaint. Andre Turpin's controlled and gloomy cinematography is masterful to look at and Gregoire Hetzel's minimalist score supports film's story just in the right places. Special mention has to go also for Sylvain Bellemare's sound design that is on the same level with work of great Leslie Shatz.
Incendies is a relevant, important and haunting film about a family and the buried secrets it has. It is a must see for anyone who loves mysteries with authentic feel in them.