"Paralyzing" is the only word that accurately describes the remarkable power of Denis Villeneuve's "Incendies." This year's Canadian Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, "Incendies" is the story of a brother and sister's journey to discover the ultimate truth about their mother's past and the family members they never knew. The continual, well-concealed mystery of "Incendies" is also the secret behind the film's revelatory power; it's what keeps it so engaging throughout, subtly drawing audiences deeper and deeper into its dark and secretive heart.
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After their mother's death, twin siblings Jeanne and Simon receive a pair of envelopes from a notary. The posthumous instructions from their mother are to seek out their father, whom they believed to be dead, and their brother, whom they never knew existed, and deliver the envelopes to these unknowns — it is their mother's dying wish. While Simon is more relieved than upset by his mother's death and is unwilling to take part in her game, devoted, sentimental Jeanne sets out for Daresh, a fictional country in the Middle East. This indefinite location allows for an unbiased approach to the heavy political and emotional content the film unravels. As Jeanne begins to sift through her mother's history, she comes to discover shocking and devastating truths about the mother she thought she knew.
It is difficult to pinpoint the specific successes of "Incendies" — is it the beautiful cinematography and gripping close-ups? The impeccable performances drenched in realistic emotion? The ingenious editing that delivers each moment of stunning terror with intensity? It's apparent from the opening scene — a group of Middle Eastern boys getting their heads shaved to a Radiohead soundtrack — that it won't be a typical political drama. While themes weave in and out of political subjects, it is the life of the mother, Narwal, that's most emotionally arresting. Lubna Azabal's astounding performance as Narwal is so engrossing that it makes a simple blank gaze utterly tormenting. The rest of the cast, too, is sincere and strong enough to carry the heavy emotional weight of the film.
However, while the mystery of "Incendies" sets the film off so powerfully, the plot gets lost in itself halfway through, losing momentum with unnecessarily long scenes and excess information that only confuses. It is important to note that the politics of the film aren't overly significant — its imaginary war only serves as a representation of several past Middle Eastern conflicts. Happily — or perhaps not — Villeneuve tightens the plot with his riveting ending, leaving the viewer in devastating paralysis.
While "Incendies" verges on disturbing and depressing, by the end any trace of melancholia is overpowered by the film's dramatically captivating and staggering cathartic impact. Villeneuve's ability to unravel a dense story of pain and dark secrets so poetically and rhythmically is without a doubt a meritorious achievement.
