Suite Francesa

What a lovely movie. A truly horrid time, war, finds something so real and alive, love and passion. Michelle Williams is a true untapped resource for a strong performance. I wish she did more films. She is stunning in the most real and beautiful way. She draws you in and makes you feel every emotion tenfold. A true powerhouse of talent. Kristin Scott Thomas plays the perfect stone old maid but with an underlying warm heart. In a time of war everyone had to brick their hearts away or be dragged under by the war machine. She portrays that beautifully. She plays the part from top to bottom with the zest of a Disney villain. BUT, don't judge too quickly. Matthias....ahhh Matthias. Can't get me enough of him. Yet another hidden gem of Hollywood.

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

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.

It is a very nice romantic movie, but it also shows the horrors of war; the plot is very good and the performances of Michelle Williams and Matthias Schoenaerts are excellent; it is highly recommended.

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