The Best Film of the Year

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2012)

Although nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, Incendies did not win, with the award instead going to In A Better World, a Danish film directed by Susanne Bier.
While Bier's family conflict drama was a fine film in its own right, it lacked enough power, intrigue and narrative to sustain its two-hour length. Incendies may occasionally overstay its time, but there is no denying its raw emotional impact.
When Nawal Marwan (Lubna Azabel in deeply affecting form) suffers a stroke at a Quebec swimming pool, she spends the remaining weeks of her life silent. At the reading of her will before her two children, Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette), notary Jean Lebel (Rémy Girard) reveals not only that Jeanne and Simon's father – whom they believed was dead – is still alive, but that they also have a brother. Given an envelope each to deliver to their father and brother, respectively, their long and disturbing journey begins.
Incendies is not an overly complicated film, but it does require a certain amount of attention, along with an even larger portion of believability as, towards its stunning conclusion, the viewer will have to rely on its stretched credibility.
The final revelations of the film are sure to divide viewers. Some may see it as a nonsensical attempt to impress audiences with a shock twist, while others will view it as a harrowing but powerful reminder of the harshness of war, racism and violence.
It cannot be said that Incendies is a perfect film – the film's length does occasionally stretch itself further than it should and it depends very much on coincidence.
But for its flaws, Incendies makes up for them – Azabel's pitch-perfect performance as Nawal will shake the cores of even the coldest viewers, while André Turpin's stunning cinematography makes it almost impossible to believe that the story was once confined to a stage.
It may not promise easy viewing, but Denis Villeneuve's fourth feature film is an outstanding achievement and will resonate with viewers across the globe for long after the conclusion.
VERDICT: A superbly acted, astonishingly filmed and remarkably told masterpiece, with an emotionally staggering climax. 2011's finest film.