French writer Philippe Claudel, who has written such novels as MEUSE L'OUBLI and QUELQUES-UNS DES SCENT REGRETS and such screenplays as AT MY FINGERTIPS and GREY SOULS, makes his debut as a writer-director with the emotionally harrowing I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG. Kristin Scott Thomas (THE ENGLISH PATIENT, THE HORSE WHISPERER) stars as Juliette, a woman who moves in with her sister, Léa (Elysa Zylberstein), after 15 years in prison. Léa's husband, Luc (Serge Hazanavicius), is not comfortable with Juliette's sudden appearance or her developing relationship with his and Léa's two young adopted Vietnamese children, P'tit Lys (Lise Ségur) and Emélia (Lily-Rose). Meanwhile, Léa's friend and coworker, Michel (Laurent Grevill), takes quite a liking to Juliette, as does her playful parole officer (Frédéric PIerrot), but Juliette is hesitant to make any new friends--she's harboring a secret that is tearing her apart. She does, however, find a kindred spirit in Luc's father, Papy Paul (Jean-Claude Arnaud), who has suffered a stroke and can no longer talk but still manages to communicate in unique and clever ways. Claudel allows the complex story to come together at a slow and steady pace, its power building to a tearjerking conclusion. Thomas is spectacular as Juliette, conveying the deep hurt she feels in every nuanced movement as she tries to reclaim her life. The beautiful, evocative score is by French pop star Jean-Louis Aubert.
Rating: PG-13 (MPAA)
Rating Reason: for thematic material and smoking.
Runtime: 117 minutes
DVD Code: Region 1 US, CA
Genre: Dramas
Color: Color
Rating: Blu-ray Disc Features:
Full Frame - 1.33
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - French, English
Subtitles - English - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary:
1. Director's Commentary
"[T]he film succeeds on its own terms as a character study by a writer-director with psychological insight and a gift for eliciting extraordinary performances from actors."
Sight and Sound (10/01/2008)
3 stars out of 4 -- "Kristin Scott Thomas has never disappointed in any role....In the French language film I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG, she is given the opportunity to shine with a fierceness that is rare in Hollywood films."
USA Today (10/24/2008)
"[A] thoughtful, provocative film....Performances this strong and direction this sensitive make us simply grateful to have an emotional story we can sink our teeth into and enjoy."
Los Angeles Times (10/24/2008)
"Mr. Claudel's practice of fading slowly to black between scenes, and the spidery tones of Jean-Louis Aubert's score, create an atmosphere of mystery and dread..."
New York Times (10/24/2008)
French writer Philippe Claudel, who has written such novels as MEUSE L'OUBLI and QUELQUES-UNS DES SCENT REGRETS and such screenplays as AT MY FINGERTIPS and GREY SOULS, makes his debut as a writer-director with the emotionally harrowing I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG. Kristin Scott Thomas (THE ENGLISH PATIENT, THE HORSE WHISPERER) stars as Juliette, a woman who moves in with her sister, Léa (Elysa Zylberstein), after 15 years in prison. Léa's husband, Luc (Serge Hazanavicius), is not comfortable with Juliette's sudden appearance or her developing relationship with his and Léa's two young adopted Vietnamese children, P'tit Lys (Lise Ségur) and Emélia (Lily-Rose). Meanwhile, Léa's friend and coworker, Michel (Laurent Grevill), takes quite a liking to Juliette, as does her playful parole officer (Frédéric PIerrot), but Juliette is hesitant to make any new friends--she's harboring a secret that is tearing her apart. She does, however, find a kindred spirit in Luc's father, Papy Paul (Jean-Claude Arnaud), who has suffered a stroke and can no longer talk but still manages to communicate in unique and clever ways. Claudel allows the complex story to come together at a slow and steady pace, its power building to a tearjerking conclusion. Thomas is spectacular as Juliette, conveying the deep hurt she feels in every nuanced movement as she tries to reclaim her life. The beautiful, evocative score is by French pop star Jean-Louis Aubert.
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3.5 stars out of 4 -- "The transcendent Scott Thomas, alert to every nuance from comic to tragic, should be on the march to Oscar. There aren't many performances you can call flawless. This one is."
Rolling Stone (11/30/2008)
4 stars out of 5 -- "Kristin Scott Thomas gives an outstanding performance in the French-language I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG..."
Box Office (11/01/2008)
"This is one of Kristin Scott Thomas' most inspired performances."
Chicago Sun-Times (10/29/2008)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[A]s a showcase for its leading lady's trademark brand of flinty minimalism and icy reserve, this ticks all the right boxes."
Total Film (02/20/2009)
4 stars out of 5 -- "Scott Thomas delivers the performance of her career, slowly inhabiting her character with vitality and warmth..."
Empire (03/01/2009)
"[Scott Thomas] shines in this devastating French-language drama....She's all quiet, sharply etched details..." -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly (03/06/2009)
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