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Mental illness as a lifestyle option seems to be the theme of this work. Very potent in examining the reality and meaning of loss and acceptance (or lack thereof). The always captivating Charlotte, (great to see Dirk Bogarde's little girl all growed up) looking elegant as a woman of a certain age in a very Anglo-Parisian sheath dress-wearing kind of way, is wonderful in her ability to convey contained confusion struggling to make sense of a pain too great to bear. Also noteworthy, stylistically, is a rare instance of unease being effectively evoked in spite of sunlit sets and daytime outdoor shots. No doom and gloom here, she gets to suffer in the light of day. A film that will remain with the moviegoer long after viewing because of its painful emotions and its visually powerful final shot.

François Ozon's Under the Sand is a great departure from his previous films, trading the bold and over the top farce of Sitcom and the brash melodrama of Criminal Lovers for something much more restrained. As a result, this is a mature film about mature characters, shot in a low-key style that is beautiful, though unobtrusive; with Ozon's camera finding a sense of poetry and evocation in even the most mundane of objects to help further express the sense of grief and remembrance so central to the spirit of our main protagonist. To help convey this, the filmmaker instills his work with a lethargic mood, drawing on the silences of scenes and the physical and emotional distances between his characters to create something that is much more internal and subjective than the ensemble films that he is best known for (Sitcom, Water Drops On Burning Rocks, 8 Women, etc).

It's almost a cliché to reference Bergman when talking of films that focus almost solely on the existential matters at the heart of their characters, but I suppose it could be relevant here; the film also reminded me, in tone, of Woody Allen's Bergman-esquire drama Interiors, or perhaps even Another Woman, with the film often confining itself to cramped and quiet locations in which characters meet for sex and lengthy semi-philosophical discussion. It's certainly not a film for the Friday night matinée crowd, but I'd imagine that goes without saying; with the story focusing on middle-aged characters and themes like grief, regret, loss and mental illness. However, the film manages to transcend the chamber-piece trappings of the Bergman style of drama by also giving us an element of mystery. It would be wrong to reveal too much about this central concept in something as ultimately superficial as a product review, although it's safe to say that the film hinges around a question of bereavement and the way in which this bereavement, or loss, is viewed by our central character in relation to those around her.

In this respect the film is similar to George Sluizer's original version of The Vanishing, in the respect that both of these films pivot around a mysterious disappearance, which leaves the absentee's lover desperately searching for some kind of closure. Unlike The Vanishing however, Under the Sand relegates the more obvious thriller elements to the background in order to more closely analyse the effect of the disappearance and possible death on his lover and her different methods of coming to terms with it. Ozon, as evident from films like Water Drops On Burning Rocks and Swimming Pool, has a strong grasp on his actors, and here draws some beautifully rendered performances from his highly esteemed cast. As some of the other comments have already noted, the central performance from Charlotte Rampling is an absolute revelation, as she creates a character that remains elusive throughout, but at the same time, is completely sympathetic. A much understated drama.

Many film fans run screaming for the door when confronted with French film drama. It is true: a lot of them tend to be over-talkative and self indulgent. François Ozon's Sous le sable is a worthy exception. Carried almost entirely by Charlotte Rampling, this story of a woman unable to face the loss of her husband marks the return to form of a great actress. Through her sensitive handling of her character one tends to forget the effort that must have gone into depicting an intelligent woman slowly going to pieces. Ozon managed to capture the special sensuality of an older woman especially well in the erotic scenes; imagined or otherwise. It is not an easy film to watch, the subject matter too painful, but its unflinching honesty coupled with Ramplings moving performance make it more than worth-while.

I just saw this film on cable last night, and thought it was wonderful - extremely moving, almost terrifying at times. Charlotte Rampling gave what was truly one of the two or three best, if not the best, performances by an actress in 2000 (take that, Julia Roberts). Extremely affecting, and highly recommended. However, I am confused by the cast list - I could have sworn that the actress playing Marie's best friend was Gena Rowlands, but she's not listed anywhere, so I'm not sure it was her after all. A great movie, rent it if you haven't seen it.

Under the Sand (2000)

The plot is simple, almost too simple, and because very little happens, it depends on mood and deeply serious thinking about death to survive. And on Charlotte Rampling to have the nuance and range to pull it off.

And it works, overall, because of just those two things: heavy subject and Rampling. There are issues (and tricks, cinematically) with ghosts and memories, but these play small against the bigger strain of the lead woman dealing with this sudden trauma in her life. Even though the main event in the movie happens at the start, I don't dare mention it because its surprise is important (I didn't know it was coming, and liked the way it was handled very much).

Director Francois Ozon never seems to quite nail down the pace and editing of his films, at least for American sensibilities. Even the sensationally complex Swimming Pool doesn't quite use its material to propel us in every scene. But let's turn that on its head and say that Ozon uses emptiness and gaps in the action to give his movies breathing room, or maybe, in some old fashioned sense, the make them serious. When nothing is "happening" you can only start to think and dwell on the events, along with the characters. In Under the Sand there is nothing else to do and yet it's exactly what Rampling in her role has to do: think and dwell. It's slow at times, yes, but only if you don't let yourself relax and get absorbed.

And, like the character, confuse what is real from what is chimera, and what she needs with what she once had, and even one man from another. Even her fluid bi-lingual abilities add to the duality. By the time you get to the final scene you are left wondering what true love really is, and whether it's worth it. Because maybe it is. She has something most people do not, and it seems like a sickness and a gift at once.