Tacticalin An absolute waste of money

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

gomgomnoify Great movie. Tranquil but not boring. It good to see it. Recommend. Happy. Great. Nice story. Happy. Stylish

Pjtaylor-96-138044 Though sometimes it seems as though information is given to us slightly too early, this often leads to some decent dramatic irony and does 'distract' from - and thereby make all the more impactful - the flick's big, blindsiding final reveal which is essentially as shocking as it is sickening, a harrowing revelation for both the audience and the picture's principle characters that has massive repercussions for both, and serves to recontextualise everything that came before it in a significant yet suitably subtle way, mostly making up for the slightly slow pace and occasional meandering that had marred the piece before. Once you've settled into the strange pace and presentation of 'Incendies (2010)', you're treated to an increasingly dark exploration of a woman you know to be dead, whom is still as strong a presence as any other character, and the children who slowly learn about her life alongside us, as we both inch ever closer to an ending that will haunt our memories for days, a tragedy of Greek proportions set against a backdrop of tragedies that all meet that same standard. As each new revelation ratchets up the suspense and plumets us in to increasingly dire territory, an unexpectedly grim realism begins to perforate the entire piece, steeping it in an often unspoken sadness and a thick air of mystery. It's this that gets under your skin and pulls you in deeper, never letting you go until the last frame finally lets you slump back in your seat and release all your emotions in one gut-wrenched gasp. It's an ever-escalating devestation of our expectations. It isn't darkness for darkness sake, rather an exploration of the characters within these situations. It's also the rare film that rests upon withholding information that would seem fairly simple, yet doing so for legitimate narrative reasons, and providing it in intelligent, usually exposition-light ways. While the tragedy exists for a reason, it is indeed tragedy. Blindsiding, unflinching tragedy, at that. The film knows when to show and when not to. All in the aid of making each moment the most impactful it can be, making you feel like you are the child of this poorly-treated, mysterious mother as you learn of her past. You'll often find yourself asking: how can things get worse? Trust me... they do. It's brilliant. 8/10

classicsoncall I don't know if I've ever seen a more heartbreaking and shocking story. Check that, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" was another film that served a solid punch to the gut that remains with you a long time. I have to credit some other reviewers for this film to identify the location of the story and place it in context of the Lebanese civil war. I might have considered it myself if I hadn't been so absorbed by the story and the intricately detailed revelations regarding Nawal Marwan (Lubna Azabal) and her twins, son Simon (Maxim Gaudette) and daughter Jeanne (Melissa Desormeaux-Poulin). One must pay attention though, to the non-linear story telling style of director Denis Villeneuve, as well as the identity of the Christian and Muslim factions involved in war time brutality and atrocity. Apart from the principal story, the scene that will stay with you for a long time involves a Christian militia attack on a busload of Muslims attempting to flee their war torn and devastated city. A noble sacrifice on Marwan's part turns into a horror spectacle when a young child is gunned down by the militants. The picture exemplifies the terror of war and it's heartbreaking effect on those fortunate to survive.

TheLittleSongbird The main attraction into seeing 'Incendies' was that it was directed by Denis Villeneuve, having loved 'Sicario' and really liked 'Prisoners' (apart from the ending). Reviews for both films recommended 'Incendies' highly and with people calling it one of Villeneuve's best, so seeing the film was definitely on the cards.Seeing it, 'Incendies' turned out to be every bit the great film as touted. Although more needs to be seen from Villeneuve, 'Incendies' to me does contain some of his best work seen thus far and my second favourite after 'Sicario'. It is a tough watch, often incredibly hard-hitting, and will have things that people will love and others won't (some will, and have done, find it contrived and melodramatic), but again to me 'Incendies' was so exceptionally well made all round with such a strong emotional impact throughout that although it is not perfect it was hard not to be hard on it.'Incendies's' weak point is the ending, it is certainly unexpected and has some power but also seemed rather contrived and like it went on far with the number of coincidences, almost as credibility-straining as the ending of 'Prisoners' if not quite.However, 'Incendies' is superbly made visually, especially in the stylish and brooding cinematography, with deft use of close-ups and long shots, that captures the horrors of the story wonderfully, even if Roger Deakins did it just a little bit better. The scenery is similarly audacious while also highly atmospheric. The music is suitably haunting, with great use of Radiohead's "You and Whose Army".Villeneuve's direction is some of his career's best, he specialised in giving his films a darkness that was beautiful and brutal but also a hard edge that didn't hold back for the better. That can be seen in 'Incendies'. While not as tight as the script in 'Sicario', the script has a lot of emotional impact and provokes thought.When it comes to the story, 'Incendies' is also hugely successful. It really hits hard without overdoing or sugar-coating things, it's very much authentic, and is also very moving. The bus massacre in particular is a highlight that shocks one to the core. The parallel split-time structure of the story is very interesting, neither story line is hard to follow and they tie up neatly at the end, while the numerous revelations and twists could have been credibility-straining and illogical if not done right but Villeneuve keeps it all under control. Anguish, confusion and regret has not in a while been seen by me so poignantly on film.Performances are strong across the board, with powerhouse turns from Lubna Azabal and Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin. The film does a particularly great job in creating sympathy for the protagonist, who is developed beautifully, one where she is easy to root for every step of the way and comes over as a compellingly real one.Overall, great film, a near-masterwork though the ending is not as good as the rest of the film. 9/10 Bethany Cox