Movie- I've Loved You So Long

First off...who knew that Kristin Scott Thomas was so fluent in French? The usually English speaking actress is the star of the French film, I've Loved You So Long
(2008), and as far as I can tell, is perfect in her French.

The movie is quiet in its own way, but holds emotionally devastating secrets. And as it meanders along, the secrets are revealed little by little, and assumptions we held in the beginning hold little value at the end.

Thomas plays Juliette, recently living with her younger sister, Lea, and her family, after being released from prison. Juliette's story is very slowly revealed, but revealed naturally, organically. We find out she has served 15 years in prison, her parents cutting her out of their lives, and her younger sister doing the same at the behest of the parents. Then we find out she served time for murder...the murder of her child...that she was a physician...

The secrets in I've Loved You So Long do not come out easily...they are painful, and hard. And Scott Thomas plays the isolated woman incredibly well. After those years in prison, she is closed to all, not willing to open up because she trusts no one. Especially not the family who isolated her.

The ultimate truth that comes out is excruciating. It is not easy to get to, and the film portrays this so well. One of the most painful scenes is when Juliette meets her mother again, for the first time in many years. Her parents acted like they did not have another child, like Lea was the sole daughter they had. But mom now has Alzheimer's and Juliette goes to the hospital with Lea to visit her. As her mother recognizes Juliette and goes to hug her, you can see Juliette trying to hug back...but the fact that she was abandoned so readily by her mother makes her cringe at the contact, makes her skin crawl at the touch.

Scott Thomas is impressive in this physiologically challenging film. There are no easy answers here, and Scott Thomas portrays this very well, as does the supporting cast of Lea's family, who Juliette comes to live with. The contradictions and uncertainty of assumptions make this a very rich film, layered and emotionally deep.
The performance by Scott Thomas is Oscar worthy, and very textured. I've Loved You So Long is a thoughtful, and a intellectually as well as emotionally satisfying film.