Hacker Cinema
Incendies
2010 · Film · 131 min
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
A mother's last wishes send twins Jeanne and Simon on a journey to Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad's acclaimed play, Incendies tells the powerful and moving tale of two young adults' voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-ending wars and enduring love.
6 positivefrom 6 commenters
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7 comments on Hacker News
It’s a real shame, because he is technically brilliant. Blade Runner 2049 is one of the most beautifully shot/edited movies I’ve ever seen, but it just cannot reach me beyond the surface.
If you’re interested in seeing him put his skills to tell an actual impactful story, watch Incendies. By far his best movie.
Incendies is his first movie that got him a nomination at the Academy Awards. The budget is smaller than Dune and it's in French and Arabic, so the mass appeal isn't there, but it's well worth the watch. To quote Denis Villeneuve: "[it's] a modern story with a sort of Greek tragedy element".
The movie is filmed in Jordan and Montreal, which have a similar feel to Dune, and I would say that he probably took inspiration from his Incendies days to make Dune.
The movie is based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad, who now works at the very prestigious théâtre national de la Colline as the director.
Sicario? Did we watch the same film? I mean sure, that's the content they are dealing with-- gratuitous violence and murder is entrenched in that world and they told a story in that world. As far as film-making and story-telling goes, Sicario will probably always be a top 50 if not top 20 film for me. Also encourage anyone to check out Villeneuve's older less known movies (most of course know Arrival and Blade Runner 2049), such as Prisoners, Enemy and Incendies-- all fantastic movies.
> In Tarkovskian terms, they have no soul.
Isn't that basically true of every modern mainstream director? I can't think of anyone I would call Tarkovskian.
> whilst technically impressive, lack something fundamental and come across as sterile.
I try not to be curmudgeonly about big-budget filmmaking - I don't think there's anything inherently bad about it, but surely there's some truth to the idea that Villeneuve "sold out" starting with Sicario, right? I'd say Prisoners, Enemy, Incendies, and Polytechnique are all extremely good films, but they're precisely the ones that most people haven't seen. I don't think there's any way you could call those films "sterile", though Enemy certainly has a dry intellectual air to it.
I think what you might be latching onto is the aesthetic of Villeneuve's films. They tend to be gritty and realistic, which can read as soulless but I don't think it's quite the same thing. Calling a movie soulless speaks to its (lack of) spiritual / emotive vision, and while none of his films have the slow pacing of a Tarkovsky or their sense for atmosphere, I would say his early movies (and probably BR2049) don't lack a vision. They have something they want to say, and that message isn't a nihilistic or misanthropic one.
Have you seen any of his movies prior to Arrival and Sicario?
Incendies, Enemy, and Prisoners are all quite emotional in distinct ways. Although, I personally feel Arrival was definitely emotional in its own way.
Before The Rain about love and war in Macedonia. Amazing and impactful film.
Time of the Gypsies by Emir Kusturica - just go in cold to this, one of my favorite movies. Featuring musical score from the incomparable Gorman Bregovic.
Enemy by Villeneuve (or literally anything from this director; also check out the compelling Incendies, and Sicario of course; Prisoners is also amazing)
Literally pick any movie from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi. The Salesman is probably my favorite from him. Very impactful and each of his movies shows a compelling and unique slice of life.
I wasn't too affected by the previous seasons and haven't watched Season 3 yet (except episode 00 pre-netflix with Mr Mad Men), but if you're up for it and really want to feel emotionally exhausted after a motion picture, I can recommend Denis Villeneuve's Incendies (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1255953/). If Lost in Translation leaves you disillusioned, then Incendies will be a punch to the stomach you feel for another day. It's one of those rare movies you appreciate and regret watching at the same time. A longer running movie with similar themes (I mean mini series) is the UK production The Honourable Woman, but it doesn't leave you as emotionally affected, so I wouldn't recommend it as a must watch.