Hypersensitive Awareness
"The presence of Kristin Scott Thomas in Philippe Claudel's I've Loved You So Long is so powerfully distinctive," the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw notes, "that it's as if Claudel has not merely written the lead role for her, but extrapolated his film's entire narrative structure from Scott Thomas's personality.
Elsa Zylberstein, Kristin Scott-Thomas in I've Loved You So Long
"Her formidable bilingual presence, her beauty -- elegant and drawn in early middle age -- her air of hypersensitive awareness of all the tiny absurdities and indignities with which she is surrounded, coupled with a drolly lenient reticence: it all creates an intelligent, observant drama about dislocation, fragility and the inner pain of unshakeable memories. Scott Thomas is on screen for almost every minute of the film, often in close-up and her face is at once eloquent and deeply withdrawn."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 26, 2008 at 9:32 AM
comment #1
guylodge
says ...
Bradshaw is right on the money here. This is hands-down the best film I've seen so far this year, and Scott Thomas's performance is so precisely pitched, so emotionally acute, it's genuinely upsetting to watch at times.
If she loses awards to some by-the-numbers emotional grandstanding from the likes of Angelina Jolie, I'll throw assorted heavy objects at my TV screen.
Posted by guylodge
at September 26, 2008 9:56 AM
comment #2
doobiedoo
says ...
I agree. Bradshaw really nailed the film, though he doesn't give enough credit to Zylberstein, whose character's compassion and desperate need to reconnect in many ways anchors the film. She's terrific, and deserves as much attention as KST.
Posted by doobiedoo
at September 26, 2008 10:39 PM