Belgian cinema isn't exactly world renowned but this is one pretty classy and well made, little, unknown movie that is definitely worth seeing.
It's a movie told in a very simplistic form, with only a handful of characters and a pretty straight-forward story. I don't say this as a negative aspect really, since it actually is what makes this movie so great and powerful to watch.
I loved the inner conflict of the main character. He's a middle-aged, married with children, very average looking schoolteacher, that has fallen in love with one of his young students (played by a 28-year old by the way). He knows that it's wrong, which is also one of the reasons why he doesn't pursue her but that doesn't make him less in love with her of course. He wants to tell her everything and be next to her all the time but yet he is holding back, even on graduation day, when he knows that afterward she will be gone from his life. It's like his heart and mind are in constant battle with each other and his reasoning keeps wining it. However because of this he also is never truly happy.
And this are only the first 15 minutes of the movie or so. It's a very rich movie, filled with all different kinds of psychological dramatical elements, that mostly play out in the main character's mind, without given him that much dialog. In that regard it also is a real subtle movie, filled with some subtle little characteristics and mannerisms that show what must be going on in the main character's mind at the moment. A great accomplishment- and collaboration between director André Delvaux and actor Senne Rouffaer.
During some of the movie its scenes, you could also definitely tell André Delvaux had a background in documentary film-making. The movie has some beautiful looking and setup moments, that also at the same time feel like something highly unusual and original, especially for its time. It helps to give the movie some unforgettable moments and help to make it all work out all the more powerful and effective.
The movie also has some twists in it, that really come out of nowhere but therefore of course work out all the better. It makes the movie its script also more intelligent than it perhaps might seem at first sight. It's a powerful and multi-layered movie, that however luckily never becomes an heavy or difficult one as well to watch.
A movie well worth searching out.
8/10
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