Archive for November, 2008

Five Stars for Il y a longtemps que je t’aime

Saturday, November 29th, 2008

This is an exquisite French film, released in the U.S. as I’ve Loved You so Long, about a woman (Kristin Scott-Thomas) reunited with her sister (Elsa Zylberstein) after 15 years in prison.  The story, which owes much to, and indeed refers to Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, is allowed to build slowly toward redemption.  The performances, especially that of Scott-Thomas, were outstanding.  If this were an American film, there is no question she would receive Best Actress at the Academy Awards.

I thought the lighting was superb in the indoor scenes, and the cinematography both inside and outside was fabulous.  Also the music by Jean Louis Aubert was perfect. One minor quibble was the extras, which were used as props in a formulaic way.

As a character study, one could normally wait for the DVD, but the exceptionally strong performances will just be that much more powerful if you see this film in a theater.  No matter, don’t miss it!