I've Loved You So Long

Recently released from prison, a woman (Kristin Scott Thomas) struggles to reconnect with her estranged sister (Elsa Zylberstein) and readjust to society.

I’ve Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t’aime) is an impressive debut from novelist turned director Philippe Claudel featuring an award worthy performance from Kristin Scott Thomas.

It can’t be overstated just how much Thomas’s performance makes the movie. She gives a textbook example of efficient, less-is-more acting, using small nuances and expressions to convey wide swaths of emotions. What’s especially amazing is how her eyes look the part. Thomas puts years of hurt, uncertainty, and fear behind them, putting the cap on an amazing piece of acting.

As a first time director, Claudel acquits himself well. While he lacks a signature visual style, he does coax universally great performances out of his cast. Further, his transition from novelist to screenwriter is a smooth one, as he resists the urge to tell his story entirely through dialog, but instead relies heavily on nonverbal body language, nuances, and facial expressions.

There is one scene, however, that doesn’t work, though it’s not Claudel’s fault. It’s a crucial, emotional scene toward the film’s finale where Elsa Zylberstein’s character is talking on the phone, receiving painful and revelatory information. While she’s listening, her daughter is reading a storybook aloud. It’s clear Claudel intended the storybook dialog to be absorbed in a subconscious manner, while the audience’s attention focused on Zylberstein. The problem is that the dialog is all in French, so non-French speakers have to read the subtitles which forces it to the forefront and distracts from Zylberstein’s performance. It’s not a fatal flaw, but one that does deflate an already somewhat weak finale.

That aside, I’ve Loved You So Long is a very promising debut and well worth a look.