Year of Release: 2008
Director: Philippe Claudel
Starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein, Serge Hazanavicius, Laurent Grévill, Frédéric Pierrot, Lise Ségur, Jean-Claude Arnaud, Mouss Zouheyri
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:
"I've Loved You So Long" is the feature directorial debut of writer Philippe Claudel. The film focuses on the story of Juliette, a woman who is freed from prison after a 15 year stint. We first see her waiting for her sister to pick her up from the airport. She has come to live with her, alongside her husband, two children and father in law. Juliette is mostly quiet and remote, slowly getting reacquainted with society. She applies for a few jobs, while going to her probation officer for regular checkins. Initially skeptical and afraid of her presence, her brother in law starts warming up to her presence, the same going for her young nieces. Her probation officer, as well as a colleague of her sister Léa, also start trying to captivate her. Throughout the film we understand that there was something quite dramatic that happened to Juliette's life, which crumbled her marriage and sent her to prison. As the film moves towards its epilogue, Juliette manages to get a semblance of life going for her once again, and she finally opens up to her sister, to what happened, to her silence, and her grief.
One of the remarkable things about this film, is how confidently Philippe Claudel unveils the life of these two sisters, in particular of the silent and sullen Juliette. There are no swift resolutions for anything, no epiphany within the first encounter of two characters. These characters, are individuals dealing with challenging and gut wrenching life experiences, who individually and collaboratively have to find a way to heal, and somehow continue to live. It's a film that tackles head on the weight of decisions, of how some people find a way to survive them and continue living, while others choose to take different directions. It's a film filled with warmth, humanity, tenderness, with two terrific central performances, from the always luminous and underrated Kristin Scott Thomas, and the equally fantastic Elsa Zylberstein. A very good film worth watching.
One of the remarkable things about this film, is how confidently Philippe Claudel unveils the life of these two sisters, in particular of the silent and sullen Juliette. There are no swift resolutions for anything, no epiphany within the first encounter of two characters. These characters, are individuals dealing with challenging and gut wrenching life experiences, who individually and collaboratively have to find a way to heal, and somehow continue to live. It's a film that tackles head on the weight of decisions, of how some people find a way to survive them and continue living, while others choose to take different directions. It's a film filled with warmth, humanity, tenderness, with two terrific central performances, from the always luminous and underrated Kristin Scott Thomas, and the equally fantastic Elsa Zylberstein. A very good film worth watching.
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