Four years after the excellent "Avant l'Aube," this third film by Raphaël Jacoulot is an intriguing thriller/mystery that takes place in a small village in Southwest France in the heat of the summer, an unusual and interesting back drop for such a story to occur.
There's a good deal to praise in this film, including its detailed, thoughtful, and accurate portrayal of what life is like in a small village in Southern France. You really get a strong sense of the tensions between farmers and non-farmers, of the economic disparity between them and of their conflicting view points. You get to see what it's like to be young and bored in a village, or old and melancholic. Jacoulot also shows, with quasi-ethnographic sensitivity, how a village like this might function at the political level, who has the power and how exactly it's exercised.
Furthermore, at the heart of this film is a mystery that is quite engaging, leaving you wanting to know exactly what's happened and why. As the story progresses, revealing some surprises along the way, the movie never ceases to portray morally complex characters and situations, no small feat.
But, in our opinion, the best part of the film is most likely the fantastic performance by Karim Leklou who plays the main character in the story, the mentally challenged and disturbed Josef.
Leklou is not widely known as an actor yet, but we think he will be. His wonderful and challenging performance reminds us of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," which proved to be a breakout role for the young American actor. It will be interesting to see what roles Leklou goes on to take. For certain -- though we're sure Mr. Leklou is a very nice man -- we believe he will make a wonderful villain at some point down the road.
For a more detailed discussion of the film, check out our eponymous web site.
