Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Before his arthouse-Hollywood fame Denis Villeneuve adapted Wadji Mouawad's play into "Incendies," a powerful film combining family epoch, mystery, political commentary and psychological drama.It all begins in French Canada with what is kind of a goofy scene: in the reading of their mother's will twins Jeanne and Simon are tasked with a journey into the Middle East to find out about the secret life their mother Nawal led there before moving to Canada. That's where the goofiness ends. "Incendies" does have the infinitely complex plot structure of the most exciting and challenging thriller, but within that compelling structure lies an intricate web of meaning.The story alternates between different time levels, illuminating the twins' search as well as the hidden life of their mother. Villeneuve forces overwhelmingly devastating scenes on the viewer, taking his audience to the core of war in general and the conflict in Middle East in particular. This is definitely not a feel good flick; a lot of what I saw made me shake physically the first time around. Still, in the middle of all that hopelessness, all that human suffering and senselessness there are glimmers of hope. Few and far between as they might be they are still bright enough to prevail.At 130 minute "Incendies" doesn't contain one single unnecessary second. It's tight, emotionally resonant, intellectually challenging and urgently relevant on countless levels. It's not much of an exaggeration to state that this film is about everything in the sense that it covers the levels of individual experience, cultural processes, political workings and humanity in general. And it does it all exceptionally well. Having recently rewatched it after 7 years, I'm again completely dumbfounded.

Following the death of Nawal Marwan, a Canadian immigrant, her two children, fraternal twins Jeanne and Simon, meet with French Canadian notary Jean Lebel, a friend of their mother. Nawal's will makes reference to not keeping a promise, denying her a proper gravestone and casket, unless Jeanne and Simon track down their mysterious brother, whose existence they were previously unaware of, and their father, whom they believed was dead.A series of flashbacks reveal Nawal came from a Christian Arab family in an unnamed Middle Eastern country, and that she fell in love with a Palestinian refugee, resulting in her pregnancy. Her family murders her lover and nearly shoots her as an honour killing, but her grandmother spares her, tattoos the baby and abandons him, and sends Nawal to the fictional city of Daresh. While at school, a civil war and war crimes break out as Christian nationalists attack Muslims and refugees, with Nawal opposing the war on human rights grounds. Her son's orphanage in Kfar Khout is destroyed by the nationalists, and unknown to her, her son has been rescued by a Muslim warlord, Chamseddine, who converts him into an Islamic child soldier. Seeking revenge for the loss of her son, Nawal joins the Muslim fighters and shoots a nationalist leader. Afterwards, she is imprisoned in Kfar Ryat and raped by torturer Abou Tareq. She consequently gives birth to the twins.

Incendies is one movie that leaves you the punch of sensation in the stomach, besides the great Plot Twist at the end of the film, something that Denis Villeneuve did in some his films, Denis Villeneuve was simply flawless in this film, the cast is good, especially Lubna Azabal that great in his role, in my opinion the best movie of Villeneuve is the Prisoners, more Incendies is not far behind, the soundtrack is good, photography is great, has shocking scenes, such as the scene that reveals big Plot Twist, is also very beautiful moments, such as the pool, Incendies is very good, so shows that Denis Villeneuve is one of the best director of the film, and here it shows for the first time what he would become what it is today, Villeneuve want more movies. Note 8.6

Great idea but weak realization. Story has strength and depth and, if it was made by the book, book probably kicks ass, but movie left me indifferent. I can not say what is the issue, if it is acting or directing or music or what... but until just few minutes before the end I had absolutely no emotions towards what I was watching and I was bored. For idea and very end of the movie 9/10, but overall impression about 5/10.!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!Christian girl gets involved with Muslim refugee and she gets pregnant. Christian police kills Muslim and her child is taken away on birth and sent to orphanage. Many years later she gets revenge for tragedy of her youth by killing leader of Christian police. She ends up in prison where she is raped by the most cruel guard. She gets pregnant again and gives birth to twins. After she is released from prison she takes her children to Canada.After she died her testament sends her children in quest to find their father and brother and deliver letters from her. Daughter goes to search for father and son searches for brother and they both find the same person.Orphanage was destroyed in war and child was adopted by attackers and trained to be killing machine. He ends up as prison guard where he rapes female prisoner not knowing it was his mother.Twins first get to know that their father is not killed in war like they were told. They find out that they are result of their mother being raped in prison while she was serving sentence for murder. Then as icing on the cake they find out that she was raped by long lost son. So, in adult age you find out that your whole life was lie. Your mother is murderer, you are rape child, rapist is your older brother and you are just side effect of sadistic, incestuous rape and now you are expected to continue with your life as mentally stable person... yea, right, like it is possible...So, I would like to improve this already sick movie by adding some epilogue to it:a) Father/brother receives both letters and, when his brain finally realizes shocking truth, he drops letters on the floor and jumps through the window (shoot himself in the head), while twins end up in closed section of sanitarium.or, for those who root for happy ending...b) Twins cry in embranchment, which ends up "horizontally", and father/brother accepts his new found family and joyfully awaits birth of his grandchild/nephew and they lived happily ever after.P.S. Yup, I'm sick, I know :P