I've Loved You So Long

Believe the hype. Kristin Scott Thomas will be back in the Oscar mix after what seems an interminable wait. She may even win. She certainly deserves to.

Her performance in Philippe Claudel's gripping film is one you take notice of immediately. Within 5 minutes you know you are watching something special. By the end of a film in which you've spent nearly every frame with her enigmatic, captivating character you'll be ready to hand her an Oscar.

I've Loved You So Long opens with the a lingering shot of a raw, uncomfortable Juliette (Scott Thomas). She sits alone in a waiting room clinging to a cigarette - her make-up-less face blank and emotionless. The appearance of her sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein), whom she hasn't seen for 15 years, yields the merest hint of emotion, and you sense 99% of that hint takes the greatest of efforts. When introduced to Lea's family, Juliette cannot help but put up a defensive, withdrawn exterior. Painfully uncomfortable in just about any social setting she withdraws into herself even further. Adjusting to her new life lodging with her sister's family, it is only with Lea's mute father-in-law that she can feel totally at ease.

It is difficult to say too much more about I've Loved You So Long without giving away details about character and plot. Going in with too much knowledge would harm a screenplay that is carefully constructed to reveal information gradually and carefully, but if this makes the film sound overly self-conscious it is anything but. It is actually a rather simple, contemporary character driven piece of the kind the French do so well.

A story about one woman and her inner demons can only work if that woman is relentlessly fascinating. As each layer of her Juliette is carefully removed, we get closer and closer to the real Juliette - the one hiding behind her masked countenance. And as we understand more and more about Juliette, we understand more and more about the truth behind the last fifteen years of her life. Each minor revelation drives the story forward towards a simultaneously uplifting and heart-wrenching climax.

Scott Thomas is an exceptionally gifted actress who has flirted with awards bodies all too infrequently in her career. Too often found in small, supporting roles, she has nevertheless come to attention of this site on 3 occasions. First coming to prominence in Four Weddings and a Funeral, she was perfect as the archetypal Brit with the stiff upper lip; a woman who suffers in silence with her unrequited love for a guy whose attentions will always be elsewhere. Her second performance of note found her in the attentions of the entire film industry - in The English Patient Thomas played opposite Ralph Fiennes and they engaged in a passionate, unbridled affair. She again found favour as the refined Brit but one this time whose passion was requited, although their love affair soon plagues her with the guilt of infidelity.

Many would point to The English Patient as a career highlight but for me she delivered her finest turn in Robert Altman's exceptional Gosford Park. Once more it was a small but perfectly formed role, and once again she plays someone in the upper classes, but she imbues her performance with enough nuance to avoid typecast: desperation and despair, wit and mischief. The only negative was that she wasn't on screen for long enough.

How refreshing then to see her dominate a film's running time. I've Loved You So Long is a film that is totally transfixed by Juliette, despite her having none of the usual trappings of a lead character. Juliette is clearly both beautiful and intelligent, but conveys instead a dowdy, fragile facade. Ably supported by Elsa Zylberstein, who may also receive awards notice, Scott Thomas really has landed the role of her career.

Claudel's screenplay might accurately be described as sparse, but that may convey the wrong message for this is an extremely accomplished film - the economical writing is one of the film's strengths. All of the film's characters, especially Juliette, say so much with so little dialogue. Scenes are no longer than necessary - there is no extraneous detail. Everything is focused on character development and the unfolding of a mystery that will have you completely absorbed from start to finish.

This is quite simply the film of the year. If I see a better one before the curtain comes down on 2008 then I am in for a real treat. If this movie and its star are not smothered with awards glory when the time comes to honour the films of the past 12 months then it would be nothing less than a travesty. Go see it. Right now.

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