Incendies

"Incendies" is a Canadian mystery-drama film written and directed by Denis Villeneuve, and it is about a twin sister and brother desperately trying to fulfil their mother's death wishes, which consist of travelling to the middle east and seeking the truth about their family's history.

Denis Villeneuve is rapidly becoming one of my favourite directors of all time, he hasn't made a wrong step yet, and hopefully he continues this path, because I have to say that this phenomenal film has to be his best achievement so far.

"Incendies" tells the fascinating and tragic backstory of Nawal Marwan, while also going back to the present day, and following her children's foot steps through their journey of unlocking their family's mystery, so the movie has a non-linear plot that surprisingly doesn't get confusing or puzzling, mainly due to how well crafted everything is.

Lubna Azabal plays Nawal and gives a baffling performance, she truly is the shinning star of this picture, her character is desperately searching for peace and love which ultimately isn't found for a cheap price, therefore, this woman faces devastation all throughout her journey, and you genuinely feel as though you've gone on an actual trip as well with these characters by the end of the movie.

The film is based on a play of the same name, and the Lebanese civil war, where right-wing Christian militias massacre Muslims and Muslims massacre Christians right back, and it does not shy away from showing the brutality and harshness of the events, there are a chunk of war scenes that are simply shocking and unforgiving.

The cinematography and the soundtrack are both another aspects where the film excels, the imagery of the middle east sucks you right into the atmosphere, while the music blends right in with the heavily impactful scenes.

The only thing that is holding me back from calling this an extraordinary film and giving it a perfect score, is some of the conveniences and coincidences it makes us believe, but nonetheless, none of them are too far fetched or significant enough to ruin the experience.

"Incendies" is a powerful and hard hitting piece of film with a terrific script and outstanding performances, sticking through it all is definitely an emotional, uncompromising and relentless experience. This is a high Full Price.