UNDER THE SAND

A beautiful elaboration on personal loss and what it means to be left alone. In a film radically removed from his past works, Francois Ozon (Water Drops on Burning Rocks MIFF 2000) again shows himself to be one of the brightest lights of recent French cinema. Marie (Charlotte Rampling) and Jean (Bruno Cremer) are living out their middle age, comfortable and satisfied. During a holiday at their summer house, Jean goes for a swim in the ocean—from which he never returns. Lifeguards find no sign of his body. Even as the months go by, despite her brave face. Marie, ever more reclusive refuses to accept that Jean is gone forever. Only when wooed by a charming publisher (Jacques Nolot) does she allow herself to rediscover her emotions, her sexuality and herself. Yet still she remains convinced that Jean is alive A wonderful cinematic experience, the youthful exuberance of Ozon's earlier work is here replaced by a wistful maturity, profound, subtle and evoking a deep sense of pain. Official selection at San Sebastian Film Festival.