Friday, November 14, 2008

Movie review: I’ve Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t’aime)

By Alex Bentley

Kristin Scott Thomas is an English actress mostly known to American audiences for her supporting roles in such films as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mission: Impossible, and The English Patient. However, she’s also fluent in French and has appeared in no fewer than 17 French films over the course of her career. U.S. audiences are being treated to two this year alone, with Tell No One being released earlier this year, followed now by I’ve Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime).

In I’ve Loved You So Long, we meet Juliette (Scott Thomas) under mysterious circumstances when she comes out of exile to live with her sister, Léa (Elsa Zylberstein), and her family. Juliette appears sullen and depressed, reason for which only become clear as the film goes along. Léa is determined to break Juliette out of her spell, so she introduces her to various family and friends.

Juliette tries to cope with the support of her sister.

It’s through one of these gatherings that Juliette meets Michel (Laurent Grévill), a fellow professor of Léa’s and a kindred spirit for Juliette, though just how kindred is only later revealed. Juliette is slowly brought out of her shell by Léa, Michel, and Léa’s two daughters, who hold special (and poignant) significance toward her recovery. She also reenters the workforce – having not been able to work as a doctor for some time, Juliette works her way back into the medical field, getting a job in a lab.

But all of this is overshadowed by the mystery about Juliette’s past, a secret that is meted out piece by piece to the audience for optimal dramatic effect. A final piece of the puzzle comes late in the film, something Juliette has kept even from Léa. However, when it is exposed, it serves not only to explain Juliette’s motives, but also to unravel much of the logic behind it. Without giving anything away, suffice it to say that it’s hard to believe that this particular secret could’ve been kept from Juliette’s family and friends, especially considering the circumstances surrounding her exile.

A rare smile from Juliette, thanks to Michel.

Despite that misstep, the film is gripping throughout. Because of her lack of screen time in the U.S., Scott Thomas may not get the acclaim that other actresses of her generation do, but she controls this film from beginning to end. And she does so without histrionics but with good old-fashioned acting. One can literally see the transformation of her character on her face, as she allows more and more life to seep into it as the story progresses.

It’s refreshing to find any kind of film with a mystery at its core that allows said secret to uncoil itself naturally, instead of forcing the issue down the audience’s throat. That the mystery turns out to be a detriment to the film is only slightly disappointing. I’ve Loved You So Long, thanks to Scott Thomas’ performance, shines despite its flaws.

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