I've Loved You So Long (DVD)

Juliette Fontaine has just been released from prison after serving a fifteen-year sentence. Her younger sister Lea comes to take her to her own family home. Lea is married to Luc and they have two adopted Vietnamese daughters; Luc's father, who has suffered a stroke, also lives with them. How will Lea's family react to Juliette, who has to stay with them until she has a permanent job and can support herself? And how will Juliette cope with her return ...
...into contact with, who react in different ways to her crime?

The nature of Juliette's crime is revealed gradually, but her reason for committing it is not evident until the end of the film. Suffice it to say that Juliette's parents denied her existence after she was sentenced, and they forbade Lea to write to or visit Juliette. Lea, however, never forgot her sister, and the bond between them forms the essence of the film. She trusts ... more

Juliette Fontaine has just been released from prison after serving a fifteen-year sentence. Her younger sister Lea comes to take her to her own family home. Lea is married to Luc and they have two adopted Vietnamese daughters; Luc's father, who has suffered a stroke, also lives with them. How will Lea's family react to Juliette, who has to stay with them until she has a permanent job and can support herself? And how will Juliette cope with her return to the outside world and relate to people she comes into contact with, who react in different ways to her crime?

The nature of Juliette's crime is revealed gradually, but her reason for committing it is not evident until the end of the film. Suffice it to say that Juliette's parents denied her existence after she was sentenced, and they forbade Lea to write to or visit Juliette. Lea, however, never forgot her sister, and the bond between them forms the essence of the film. She trusts Juliette implicitly in spite of everything, and is prepared to take the risk that standing by her sister could have a detrimental effect on her marriage.

Kristin Scott Thomas takes the part of Juliette and appears in almost every scene of the film. It is a wonderful performance. At first she appears unmade-up, a broken woman who hardly speaks. Facial expressions say everything at this stage. Little by little she begins to pick up the threads of her new life, encouraged throughout by Lea. Scott Thomas begins to show the sparks of interest as she develops relationships with those she comes into contact with. At one point she snaps at P'tit Lys, the elder of the two daughters, and the reason for this outburst is not clear until the emotional ending of the film. Gradually, however, Juliette and P'tit Lys develop a great affection for each other which is beautifully played out by both actresses.

Elsa Zylberstein as Lea puts in a performance that is virtually as strong as that of Scott Thomas. Zylberstein sensitively portrays the unconditional love of a sister. She initially appears as bubbly, loving and upbeat, but it is obvious that she is bottling up concerns over her sister's crime that are bound to cause an outburst eventually. It's soon over, however, and she is certainly convincing as the lecturer who is also a loving mother, and successfully gives support to her sister in the face of opposition from her husband.

The minor characters are also beautifully drawn by writer and director Philippe Claudel. Lise Segur as the eight-year-old P'tit Lys is delightful; the younger Emilia is also very sweet but so tiny that we don't see much of her. Frederic Pierrot plays probation officer Capitain Faure, a man strangely obsessed with the River Orinoco who seems to need the support of Juliette more than she needs his. Serge Hazanavicius is admirable as husband Luc, understandably mistrustful of Juliette and unhappy with her presence in his household. His father-in-law, Papy Paul, is played by Jean-Claude Arnaud; unable to speak since his stroke, the performance relies solely on facial expression.

This is Claudel's first film, but it is a masterpiece that shows how life can be rebuilt through love, trust and support. Relationships develop gradually, and conversations become more meaningful throughout the course of the film. There is not a great deal of action; an element of mystery surrounds Juliette's crime, but essentially this is a film for those interested in human relationships.

The music is gentle and soothing, mainly based around the guitar. As the credits roll the tune turns into a song; the lyrics were fine, but I'm afraid I was not impressed by singer.

The DVD has an interview with Philippe Claudel and Laurence Haloche, as well as deleted scenes with an optional audio commentary.

The film has a 12 certificate, but it is certainly not one that is suitable for children in any case.

'I've loved you so long' has won nine awards, including the BAFTA for best film not in the English language. It is an extremely moving film, and I found my eyes welling with tears on two or three occasions, although one of these was during an extremely happy episode. Although depressing in many ways, the film does contain scenes that are uplifting and help to create a balance. Not everyone will want to watch a film in French with subtitles, and there will be those looking for more action, but for me 'I've loved you so long' is a film to treasure. I would definitely recommend looking out for it, and I know I will come back to it, probably more than once.

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