Couch Potato Review: Il y a longtemps que je t'aime

I don't make a lot of money. Movies in the theater are now almost criminally expensive. I recently did go to a film at 3:15 in the afternoon and they were charging the evening price. Since when the matinee, my former saving grace, go the way of the dodo? And why is it so difficult to access foreign films? Alas, those rants are for other posts.

So I humbly present to you a Couch Potato Review. These will be virtually pointless reviews, if you're looking for up-to-the minute films. The movies reviewed here would have come out months and sometimes years before I saw it. However, since going to the theater is becoming less and less common (cue sarcastic thank you high prices, children in R-rated films and cell phones, and a genuine thank you to Netflix), I like to think that my reviews are actually a bit timelier than opening-day reviews. I warn you, however, that my taste is eclectic, and you'll see some pretty random stuff under Couch Potato Reviews, because most of it is coming from my current Netflix queue. But onto the good stuff.

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime* (I've Loved You So Long) is a French film that was released last year and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. This film gained some attention in the US due to its leading lady, Kristen Scott Thomas, who is also a prominent English-language actress (you may remember her from her Oscar-nominated role in 1996's The English Patient, 2001's Gosford Park or this year's Confessions of a Shopaholic). Her performance is in complete, flawless French, and if I didn't know her already, I would have been stunned to learn she wasn't French.

All stunning of myself aside, le film is about a woman named Juliette (Thomas) who has just been released from prison after serving 15 years, and her attempts to reintegrate into society and reconcile with her sister, Lea (Elsa Zyberstein), who was brainwashed by their parents into forgetting her and their memories together. Juliette, a highly educated woman, must face checking into parole offices, searching for a job from someone who'd be willing to hire her, and gaining trust from her sister's husband, who did not know her before the crime.

This film is very French in style, and the plot unfolds like a good novel: unhurried, but still relevant, filled with little peaks and vallies that intrigue and interest, but don't expect the plot to move quickly. French (or European) cinema doesn't always spell things out for the audience, so the viewer of this film must be patient. The exploration of a criminal's return into society is not entirely new to cinema (see: The Woodsman (2004), or any film version of Les Miserables), but this film in particular draws a fine portrait of the emotional struggle Juliette and others like her face, and what their families face. And this film is a rich, rewarding experience. The moody cinematography and unshowy camera work create the proper tone, but the focus is all on dramatic performances. Thomas's performance easily outshines everyone else's, and I thought Zyberstein's performance didn't hold up next to her's when they performed together. Thomas as an actress has always understood stillness, silence and letting the eyes speak volumes, and she's in fine form here. The film also packs an emotional punch as one becomes more and more attached to Juliette and more invested in her survival outside prison, and learn more about the crime itself.

My final word: Yes.

(Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and smoking. No really. I didn't make that last one up. They make that part of the ratings system now.)

*Available in English language track, or French track with English subtitles. BackseatDirector will always review foreign language films on the original language track with English subtitles to view the original performance, so I cannot comment on the quality of dubbing. But friends don't let friends watch bad dubbing, so beware.