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Frammartino also doesn't need music to keep the viewer gripped, evoking drama and emotion in scenes that are accompanied by a meticulously detailed sound mix. One of the only figures shot in close-up, the shepherd's craggy face rarely moves, yet his deeper thoughts reverberate throughout the film as he watches the world shifting around him. And there are magical moments along the way, such as speleologists sprawled out asleep next to religious icons, or a curious horse poking its head into their tent.

Almost every shot in this film stops us in our tracks, catching the scale of the mountains as life bustles atop, around, below and indeed inside them. The cave sequences are absolutely stunning, as we follow experts as they carefully descend into and explore this wondrous underworld. With the old shepherd watching silently as young people make discoveries that will change the history of his ancient land, the film becomes a gently provocative look at the inevitability of progress.

some themes

6.Jun.22

Each actor creates a fully formed character with a life outside the frame. The story is told through Marceau's eyes, and she brings terrific textures to Emmanuele's relationships, especially with her father and sister. Pailhas has a more difficult role as the pragmatic, emotional Pascale. And Dussollier has a wonderfully prickly sense of humour that makes him instantly irresistible, which helps the audience navigate Andre's harsher angles. It also helps us understand why Emmanuele and Pascale reluctantly agree to help him seek a dignified death.

Refreshingly, the film never tries to make a political statement about assisted suicide. Instead, Ozon is simply telling a personal story, so the impact comes from the way various characters react as events shift around them. This is particularly strong in the final act, where big emotions are undercut by a series of madcap situations that gently highlight both legal and emotional issues within the situation. It's an uncanny feat to make a genuinely entertaining movie about the end of a complicated life.

themes, language, violence

22.Mar.22

With her angelic face and expressive physicality, Solalinna is terrific as the bright Tinja, who knows she has to hide Alli from her parents (they make the obvious assumption that she's becoming a woman). The odd relationship Tinja develops with this skeletal, carnivorous bird-thing is strangely sweet. And the connections with the family are sharply layered, with strongly distinctive performances from Heikkila, Volanen, Ollila and Nordin as people who know something is up but haven't a clue that they're in real danger.

The obvious kick in the story is Tinja's newly arrived adolescence, which allows the filmmakers to stir in witty observations about her newfound opinions and independence. There are playful touches all the way through, including some silly moments that mercifully cut through the creepy story, while the tone is also undermined and augmented with the cleverly eye-catching production design. All of this comes together to create nerve-jangling unease that makes predicting the plot's trajectory impossible. Although deep inside, we know where it has to go.

themes, violence

9.Jun.22