WHO MADE IT? | Director: Danis Tanovic Cast: Emmanuelle Béart, Karin Viard, Marie Gillain, Carole Bouquet, Jean Rochefort | WHAT'S IT ABOUT? | Originally conceived by Krzysztof Kieslowski, as part of his “Heaven, Hell, Purgatory” trilogy, this tells the story of three sisters, as they struggle to come to terms with difficulties in their own lives and the effect their parents’ destructive relationship had on them. The oldest, Sophie (Béart), is a highly emotional and insecure mother-of-two, whose photographer husband isn’t giving her the love or attention she craves. The youngest, the romantic Anne (Gillard), is desperately in love with a professor who’s as unsuitable as he is unobtainable. And the middle sister, the lonely Céline (Viard), is being followed by a mysterious man, whose unexpected motives prove to be a turning point of the film. Only Céline pays regular visits to their mother, who’s been confined to a wheelchair – and a residential home – since a devastating incident, some two decades earlier, ripped the family apart. The arrival of Céline’s stranger on the scene finally explains the traumatic events and brings the sisters back together. | WHAT'S IT LIKE? | From the mind of Kieslowski, and with a title like “Hell,” don’t expect much light comedy. But in the hands of Oscar-winner (No Man’s Land for Best Foreign Language Film) Danis Tanovic, you know it will, at least, be faithful to Kieslowski’s original vision. This deep and powerful drama studies the loss – lost love, lost relationships, lost opportunities. The photography is almost beyond comparison, its beautiful, rich colours, painting the quiet misery of the characters on a canvas that drips with metaphors. The performances spit deep emotions at you from the screen – you feel their pain. But the style of the film isn’t enough to make up for the substance – the story at its heart takes far too long to develop, and when the pieces of the puzzle start slotting into place, too much just doesn’t ring true. Neither does it have the gravitas to live up to its fiery title, in any sense. That being the case, it's perhaps ironic that the denouement leaves you feeling cold – although perhaps that was the intention. There’s much to admire in this film, and you’ll be thinking about it for some time afterwards, but you’re just as likely to be thinking “what was that all about?” as you are to be thinking how much you enjoyed it. | opens nationwide 21st April 2006
