God, what a movie! Why can’t Hollywood make movies like this?!

My wife and I talked animatedly about this film for hours afterward. We were both floored. The last film I saw that I liked this much was Tell No One, another exquisite foreign mystery, but this film reminded me even more of The Lives of Others. It may prove to out shine both of them in the test of time. It also reminded me a little of Malèna (2000) – I’m thinking here of the beautiful score and the incredibly moving way it is used in the film.

The main story lines – a murder mystery and a love story – are woven together almost perfectly, and all the subplots are woven in seamlessly. I have not in some time seen inter-related story lines move forward so effortlessly. What really overwhelmed me in retrospect is how spontaneously the love story evolves. Nothing is telegraphed in the slightest – the depth and tenderness of it sneaks up on you slowly and then unfolds before you’ve had a chance to prepare for it, and the results are pretty devastating. I cried twice: once at one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve seen in a long time, and once at the overwhelming ending. This is seriously good stuff!

The two leads are, in a word, incredible. Their charisma, their presence, their chemistry, and their acting: all outstanding. You deeply bond with both of them. The fellow playing the husband whose wife is killed turns in a really breathtaking supporting performance – it’s a very low-key performance, but every look, every little element is just perfect and haunting. All the other supporting actors are well-cast and turn in wonderful performances.

I don’t want to give anything away, so I will stop here. I can’t recommend this film highly enough.