Badly structured + improbable outcome

Rating: 4/10 (29 December 2013)

The story dreadfully drags on for a good hour at a false rhythm favourable to boredom, the plot then accelerates in the last 35-40 minutes, but unfortunately this regain of interest is completely annihilated by the highly improbable aspect of the outcome.
The narrative structure therefore turns out very blurry and this feeling is emphasized by a very confused editing alternating past and present, for example you get the mother and the daughter mixed up, especially at the beginning, because they resemble too much, and the temporal referential isn't very clear so you never now which period it is or how much time has passed.
Moreover, and more importantly, nothing is explained regarding the historical context in Lebanon during the 70's, we're offered raw data that isn't supported and unless you're aware of this civil war episode, the movie tells nothing on that subject even though it occupies a primordial place in the story.
Therefore, it's hard to understand the enthusiasm for Incendies and the raving critics it arouse since the content is so weak and hardly compensated by a rather catchy photography and seamless direction.