Director: Erik Poppe.
Starring: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Juliette Binoche, Lauryn Canny, Maria Doyle Kennedy.
Running Time: 117 minutes
Certificate: 15
Photography is a fascinating artform. Obviously a picture can say a thousand words, but it can also tell us about the photographer themselves. Erik Poppe’s drama takes a long hard look at one photographer in particular, that being Juliette Binoche’s war photographer Rebecca. Rebecca spends months away from her family in some of the world’s most dangerous locations, but must face her ideals and morality in a striking opening scene.
Rebecca is chronicling the ritual of a suicide bomber on her way to detonate herself. We see the rituals performed and follow her all the way to the fatal explosion. Rebecca does nothing to stop it, arguing with herself that she is only an observer. Poppe does an incredible job at also putting us at a distance by not trying to crank up the tension using obvious music or quick edits. It’s purposefully and ironically calm, but still has the power to shock.
An injured Rebecca must then return to her family and question what is important to her. She has two daughters, one a precocious youngster and the other a distant teenager, as well as her loving husband. The conflict of family then becomes the main issue and it is one that plays out in mixed fashions. Sometimes there are subtle visual metaphors, but then suddenly we have some obvious dialogue. The film also suffers from making its point very early on, meaning that this seems like a very long two hours. It does explore some different avenues at points but rather than propelling a story forward it feels as though the script is circling the same themes over and over again.
All performances are absolutely fantastic, with Binoche and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau portraying an exceptionally romantic couple, who can also go toe-to-toe in ferocious battles of words. Lauren Canny, who impressed in TV miniseries Amber, once again shines and is certainly a talent to note for the future. It looks good, it sounds fantastic, and the emotional weight is supported by thought provoking moments, but perhaps a trimmed down version would have made for more of an impact.
[usr=3]A THOUSAND TIMES GOOD NIGHT is out on DVD and Blu-ray now.
