Anirban Banerji
This is not exactly a neat and slick production in the Hollywood sense. You may find ample number of "rough edges" here and there, but there's heart in this work. Sheer honesty of the entire effort will touch you.Harmony of perceptive (as well as intelligent) camera work with crystalline conciseness of direction, ensured that wrecked and derelict outdoor is reflected from interiors of Catherine Deneuve and Rabih Mroue; - regularly. – Such consistency is not easily achievable, but the script-direction combination pulls it off here.Structure of the movie is such that every time one starts to (slowly) slip into a nice little groove of a story-like niche, it is abruptly broken; apparently telling the viewer that probably it is too early and too unrealistic to feel the trance of a storyline when one's survival – and merely that survival itself – can be hailed as an achievement. The detached self of the viewer, therefore, is made to stay in his/her realm of logic, - throughout. In other words, viewer is prohibited to enter the realm of his/her emotion. – Such Brecht-like treatment of the subject matter adds a rare dimensionality to this film.This is one of those nonconforming "serious" movies that won't bore you ever. In fact, to me, not a single shot of this movie is redundant.You might not find it to be a "feel-good" movie, but most certainly you'll have an unmatched and unforgettable cinematic experience. Watch this movie.
