La nuit est encore jeune (2014) Reviews

• The Night Is Still Young

  fulrahul2015-03-10

  A psychological drama thriller. In a quiet French village, a young woman is reported missing. A simple disappearance or a crime of passion? It is a love triangle between a beautiful exiled woman who dreams of becoming a classical singer, a lesbian butcher with a mysterious curse and a garbage collector who naively stumbles into treacherous territory. Seduction, betrayal and jealousy combine in an atmosphere of barely contained madness. The filmmaker from Sri-Lanka on exile in France in his debut feature film creates a borderline musical as the humming of one tune throughout the film by the three characters is the highlight and in moments is genuinely funny. Also the prayers to the Gogonba beliefs create another tune both of which last in your minds much later after you've watched the film. The characters through their damaged past portray feelings of survival, loneliness, love. Lucia's journey from exile, to championship, to love is at the center. The film is thoughtfully shot mostly through dawn, dusk and night with scenes of butchery and traveling on a empty road to express the change in character's lives. the film beautifully builds up the suspense to end it unexpectedly, and in a brutal hurry; it also in a weird way succeeds in leaving many questions in the viewers minds. The film is definitely worth a watch for its ingenuity and unique brilliance.