Review: June 15, 2013
Excellent Movie: Incendies
I watched a netflix movie that has haunted me for two days now.
By haunted, I mean that I am still thinking about it and having insights about it popping into my head.
I think this movie is especially powerful because of the situation in Syria, where once again, a kind of civil war is unleashing unspeakable, unthinkable violence on innocents who just want to live their lives in peace and joy.
Incendies is set in the Lebanese civil war of the 1970s. It is a mystery–where twins, raised in Canada, are tasked in their mother’s will to go back to her past so that, we discover, they can move forward into their futures. It is the story of an amazing, brave, unbreakable woman–caught up in civil war. It is a story, in the end, of healing and of hope. And of love. Great love.
Incendies is tough to watch at times. It pulls no punches about how war changes people in all kinds of ways and how ugly war is. There is no comic book good guys/bad guys neat polar opposites here. War makes bad guys of everyone. The ending, however, is worth it. The loose ends are tied off–and not in neat, tidy ways. We are left with hope–and the certain knowledge that war leaves in its wake ripples that keep rippling out and touching innocent lives.
I won’t say “enjoy,” though there is a great deal of pleasure in watching something so wonderfully executed, so rich with ideas, so beautifully acted. I will say “learn.”
Here’s a quote from Wikipedia:
Incendies is a 2010 Canadian mystery drama film written and directed by Denis Villeneuve. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad‘s play, Scorched, Incendies follows the journey of twin brother and sister as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother’s life. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals in September 2010 and was released in Quebec on 17 September 2010. In 2011, it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The film won eight awards at the 31st Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Actress (Lubna Azabal), Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Overall Sound and Sound Editing.[4] Incendies was named by the New York Times as one of the 10 best films of 2011.[5]
Louisa Enright's Blog 