Incendies

As Denis Villeneuve has become one of my favorite directors over the years - with a particularly incredible sci-fi epic, Dune Part II from March - I get enjoyment from seeking out early projects "before they were big". Whether or not I do something similar to my Christopher Nolan Ranking at some point, Incendies feels like a film I've never seen, but always heard about as a key moment in Villeneuve's directorial history. 

Having caught up with it recently, I now fully understand why. 

It's incredible, as hard as it may be to watch. 

Inspired in part by a Greek tragedy, as well as a 2005 play by Wajdi Mouawad, Incendies tells a remarkable story. I'll avoid spoilers here, but it stems from a mother's will to her twins, pushing them to go on a quest to their homeland to find their long lost brother and their father, believed dead. The female twin, Jeanne, wants to fulfill her mother's wishes while the male twin, Simon, believes their mother was crazy and wants to move on with his life. 

The story follows mostly Jeanne and transports back in time to their mother, Nawal, as it begins filling in the dark pieces of the mystery of their family's past. Incendies is not an easy watch - it's brutally dark and probably Villeneuve's darkest film period - but it is captivating. I was thoroughly engrossed for all 2hrs and 11mins, all the way through the shocking ending...which is one of several shocking reveals. I'll get to some of the other elements I enjoyed with Incendies, but it potentially goes without saying that the story itself is the lynchpin of success here; it'll stay with me for a long time. 

Performances are unanimously fantastic from all lead roles and side players. Lubna Azabal is determined and stoic as Nawal Marwan (the mother) while the other standout is her daughter, Jeanne, played by Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin. She plays Jeanne with curiosity and tepidness, nailing a daughter eager to dive deep into her family's history, but cautious of what she may find. They look similar-ish at the beginning, so it can be hard to distinguish where in the timeline we are during early switches, but eventually you begin to get the hang of it. 

Villeneuve's early filmmaking talents are on display - though his penchant for great original scores was notably missed/absent. Editing, pacing, and cinematography are all fitting to the film and while he may be working with a lower budget, he doesn't let it stop him from having a professional level of shine on the whole thing. Beyond how engrossed I was with the story, seeing some of his early work with films like Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and the Dune films in my mind (just to name a few), is an exciting and interesting treat. As we've come to appreciate and love with Denis, his ability to craft precise tension is present in Incendies too, complimenting the brutality of it all well. 

It's probably no secret that Denis Villeneuve's Incendies blew me away - which is a customary feat for him. It may be early on in his filmography, but it has all the hallmarks of his talent, plus a story that is almost perfectly told and wildly gripping. It's worth seeking out, particularly if you're a fan of his work. 

Retro Rath's Review Score | 9.5/10