Saint Omer

"Saint Omer" is a powerful and thought-provoking film directed by accomplished documentary filmmaker Alice Diop. The film is based on the true story of Fabienne Kabou, a French-Senegalese woman accused of killing her infant daughter and leaving her to drown on a beach. Diop has created a film that leaves the audience with more questions than answers, but it is this approach that allows the film to resonate with anxieties and the undertow of subterranean influence. The film stars Kayije Kagame as Rama, a novelist and professor who is drawn to attend the trial, and Guslagie Malanga as Laurence, the accused woman in the dock. The film's cinematography by Claire Mathon is stunning, and the performances by the lead actors are outstanding. "Saint Omer" is a film that will stay with you long after you've left the theater.

This paints a clear picture of how commonly forced social norms and cultural barriers can largely effect people leading to deplorable acts of violence, almost like a curse that cannot be broken.

I loved what this film presented, a well written, acted and precise story that delivers an interesting broken individual filled with misery. I just wish there was a bit more going on overall with its shot composition, which does the job nicely but in no way stands out, and with it's narrative that, as intriguing as it was, (in my opinion) gave everything it had to give with one viewing.

A good companion piece to Anatomy of a Fall.

A multilayered & morally ambiguous legal drama making a valiant attempt to look for humanity in the inhumane, Saint Omer is as empathetic as it is engrossing and offers an arresting insight into motherhood, generational trauma & immigrant experience through the observing eyes of a novelist attending the trial of a mother accused of murdering her 15-month old child.

Co-written & directed by Alice Diop in her feature film debut, the story is borrowed from a real-life court case and follows a woman who begins to interrogate herself after learning about the accused's upbringing, loneliness & pregnancy and its striking similarity to her own life journey. The courtroom proceedings are gripping and each new detail brings its own complexity to the mix.

The film takes an unbiased approach and provides ample breathing space for the defendant to plead her case, even managing to earn our sympathy for her despite her unforgivable act. Also notable is the static, concise camerawork that keeps the unfolding drama at the forefront at all times while convincing performances from its committed cast make sure that the story remains riveting throughout.

Overall, Saint Omer is handled with care, told with compassion and shot with sophistication to deliver a consistently captivating drama that continues to challenge our morality & perception from start to finish. An impressive debut feature for the French documentarian that works best when allowed to simmer for a while, this French courtroom drama isn't an easy sit but is worth your time. Definitely recommended.

The difference between passing judgement and serving justice is at the heart of this incredibly moving film. Laying open social issues surrounding isolation, education, assimilation, and culture, whilst taking them apart word by word is beautiful to watch. And extremely emotional to experience. With restraint and very few words, the story of two seemingly connected Senegalese women living in France cross roads with the mythical Medea in a tragic tale of loss. The actors are powerful and I found myself engrossed watching the film even more the second time around. This one is not for the faint hearted.

Rama (Kayije Kagame), a Parisian of Senegalese heritage, is a literature professor and novelist. For a writing assignment, she travels to the French municipality of Saint-Omer to observe the infanticide trial of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda), a Senegalese immigrant. (Rama is the on-screen surrogate for director/co-writer Alice Diop who observed the real-life infanticide trial of Fabienne Kabou in 2016.)

Diop is very astute at creating tension in various scenes. This is especially so during an interrogation scene between the judge (Valérie Dréville) and the defendant early in the film. This scene is relatively long but Malanda and Dréville play it so perfectly that it becomes riveting rather than dull.

The character of the defendant is an enigma: at times, one can feel sympathy for her despite so much evidence against her. Her backstory is also fascinating regarding the pressures placed on her as a girl in Senegal whose mother demanded much of her regarding education choices and politeness all with the plans of Laurence having "a better life". Rama's response to the trial is also intriguing as she has trouble digesting noticeable similarities she has with the defendant.

The cast is superb in this film. In addition to Kagame, Malanda, and Dréville, there are also notable performances from Xavier Maly (Laurence's partner), Aurélia Petit (the defense attorney), and Salimata Kamate (Laurence's mother).

There are some loose ends in the film including the relationship between Rama and her mother but overall "Saint Omer" is one of the best courtroom dramas since the Israeli film "Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" which was released in 2014. - dbamateurcritic

RATING: 9 out of 10

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Acting Ensemble.