Suite Francesa

18 March 2015 Film of Choice at The Plaza Dorchester Tonight - Suite Française. Based on an unfinished series of books by Irène Némirovsky, a Ukranian Jew who died in Auschwitz, they were discovered and held by her children, but not read until 1998. They were eventually published as a single volume in 2004 and this film is the adaptation of that printed story. It's a tale of life in the war, a tale of love, betrayal, a tale of deceit and survival. Lucile is a young girl forced to live with her severe and controlling Mother-in-Law, played exceptionally well by Kristin Scott Thomas. When their village is occupied by the Germans they are forced to play host to a German Officer, but he is unlike the others. Lucile is a timid put upon girl who appears to meekly abide by what her Mother-in-Law decrees, but as the film gains momentum we see her true character assert itself. This is a tale of everyday people, trying to survive as the horror of war is raging around them. Very beautifully shot with a delicate soundtrack revolving around the piece of music written by the young German Officer. Once again you leave the cinema with the feeling of futility, and waste which come from watching stories about the war, but also in a peculiar way, I had the sense of having watched something very beautiful.

Suite Française sounds like an overused plot that one can predict from a mile away but it's not. The story's not another version of Romeo and Juliet's impossible love. It's subtle, sweet, and smart because it makes you think - just a little bit don't worry - about morals, values, and ideologies our own and that of the ones we love. The film is about a blooming love story but a complicated one.

Lucile & Bruno's longing and desire for each other doesn't get frustrating or outrageously déjà vu, it only adds another flavor, to the many, in the film. It contrasts well with Celine's (Margot Robbie) lack of restraint on her urges. It begs the question on ideologies and desire, when do they impede each other? No one is just one dimensional in this film, you see the good, the bad, and questionable in every one. Ambivalence is the key word in this film, conflicting emotions and ideologies is in the center of this story.

The storytelling is just amazing, layered with subtlety and beauty, it carries you through every step of the way like musical notes played on the piano. The ensemble cast is great, all of the characters have some kind of layers to them, each of them memorable in their own way, without ever making the film crowded or hard to follow. Kristin Scott Thomas embodies the devotion her character has, Michelle Williams fits the role perfectly she has this quite strength that Lucile needs, and Matthias Schoenaerts really is the prince in the big bad wolf suit or vice versa.

Suite Française is a captivating and poignant story that has an equally emotive roots, the film surprised me. @wornoutspines

I was nearly put off going to see this after reading a few sneering reviews, which in retrospect appear to have been more an attempt by the critic to show off about their having read the novel than having actually anything to do with what's on screen.

Yes, the narration is a little heavy handed at times but ultimately necessary and the incongruous "When it comes to war you really find out what people are really like" early on felt like it was being trowelled out so we didn't miss it. Sure, it's not perfect but these are minor niggles not major flaws.

Thankfully, it isn't a boy invades village; girl falls in love; boy isn't as beastly as first thought kind of story. Life's more complicated than that. Where the film excels is that what you think of a character changes as the film progresses. There is no good German. There is no black and white collaboration. There are just people confronted with circumstances and how they react to them.

Michelle Williams brilliantly underplays her role which counteracts the clumsiness of the script in places, Matthias Schoenaerts is superb as the sensitive and conflicted man of war and the supporting cast excellent.

It's a little gem.

Perhaps the best thing about 'Suite Française' is that the love story is intriguing. This is a rare thing nowadays and brings to mind the great heyday of romance in the Seventies. 'Suite Française' is set in Nazi occupied France during the start of World War II. You will therefore be crying with powerful and furious emotion. Michelle Williams is at the fore front of this film; gladly she does not fail or let the production team down in any respect. She plays a French Villager (I think) called Lucile Angellier. I say this statement with doubt as last time I checked French people did not speak English as their first language. Her overbearing mother is played with severity by Kristin Scott Thomas. She outright leads her daughter's life for her and plays a prominent role in all of her decisions, whether they be little or large. Their village becomes ruled and dictated by German soldiers, some much more brutal than others. There are different personalities and beliefs to each of them. This is great to see, because it paints a broader and larger painting. It shows us that not everyone can be placed definitively into a category.

Lucile is eventually watched over by a lieutenant by the name of Bruno Von Falk. Yes they do fall in love. But it is not as clichéd as I had suspected even if it does fall prone to a few nearly unavoidable clichés. It is the small subtleties that shape their romance. Lucille grows tired of her mother being in charge of her own life and this relationship allows her to become more independent and free minded. This provides the audience with depth, as it is not just a forbidden romance, but a necessary one as well. The lieutenant is acted sufficiently by Matthias Schoenaerts, who proves that he is not just a pretty face off of Hollywood's conveyor belt of seemingly endless blank, bland and boring male actors.

The horrors of war are slightly forgotten about as the film enters its later stages of the romance. But I cannot become too angry at the film, as it is a romance and not a war film. The film maintains good pacing, so that nothing is sudden and unexpected. This is an absolute necessity as we must become invested in the romance as time progresses. This is something that the Director should be proud of. That we maintain a surging like towards the two leads and always care about the characters. For the impatient they may find the whole affair too plodding, as there is only one action set piece located at the start of the film and even that is as brief as they come. But ask yourself, do we really need more action; for this type of film, no, absolutely not. In the last act of it, it becomes a sad if predictable experience, which therefore means that the smallest trace of a tear is kept at bay. The film in its final moments is everything that it promised us it would not be; clichéd and predictable.

Although far too predictable in its final act 'Suite Française' represents one of the more plausible romances in recent memory. The acting is enthusiastic by Michelle Williams and the male lead gets the job done. 'Suite Française' may be too drama heavy, but if the romance is this engaging; then frankly my dear I don't give a damn.

During war time sacrifices have to be made. Some have to do with our private space, some with our personal space too. All dig into our personal life and depending on the person invading (pun somewhat intended) it will lead to different results. So we may be inclined to paint every Nazi as a bad person or just a demon/devil without any depth or sympathy for that person.

This movie does try to delve deeper into it and tell a bit of a different story. War is hard on everybody and depending on how your character is developed you'll make decisions that can be qualified as good or bad, be it in hindsight or just judging at the moment. The drama part does work and there are no easy solutions if any at all. Not an easy but an uncomfortable viewing experience which is exactly what it was meant to be