Written and directed by French Canadian Denis Villeneuve and based on the play by Wajdi Mouawad, Incendies is cinema at its most powerful. This is the story of a brother and a sister living in Canada who are sent, by letters of request left in their mother’s will, to the Middle East to find the father they thought was dead and a brother they did not know they had. This is high concept cinema and in many hands would descend into melodramatic farce, yet Incendies is a beautiful and powerful film. Villeneuve treats the story with the weight it deserves and draws superb performances from his experienced cast. The film does not shy away from the difficult dramatic scenes, nor does it shy away from addressing the complicated religious war in the area or the violence resulting from this. A scene of terrorism on a bus is particularly harrowing. Yet, Villeneuve has contemporary style to match his ability to handle serious issues. The use of on screen text to highlight people and locations is a nice touch and the soundtrack is surprising yet relevant.
From its commanding opening scene (set to Radiohead) to its unforgettable dénouement, Incendies is necessary viewing.
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