Featured Audience Ratings

• jay n

  
  Complex drama of grief and its effects on one woman. Minimal dialogue and maximum emotional truth are on display. Charlotte Rampling is a marvel.

• Drew S

  
  Is there any working performer with eyes as expressive and versatile as Charlotte Rampling's?

• John B

  
  Beautiful and heartfelt. Another gem from the very robust French cinema industry. This is a truly moving depiction of the mourning process. Ozon does a great job.

• Daniel P

  
  François Ozon's films, even those that aren't entirely successful, are always worth seeing, and <i>Sous le Sable</i> is certainly no exception. This is one of his "deceptively simple" films, that, like <i>Le Refuge</i>, explores one or two… More
  François Ozon's films, even those that aren't entirely successful, are always worth seeing, and <i>Sous le Sable</i> is certainly no exception. This is one of his "deceptively simple" films, that, like <i>Le Refuge</i>, explores one or two themes but in realistic, surprising and moving ways. Here, Charlotte Rampling offers a quietly impressive role as Marie, whose husband Jean goes for a swim in the sea whilst vacationing and is never seen again, apparently drowned. Marie refuses to accept that he is gone, even his physical presence, let alone his life, and thinks of him and refers to him in the present tense, her grief too awful, traumatic, impossible to 'indulge' in. Deeply complex, the film concentrates almost only on her denial and how she is able (initially) to make excuses for Jean's absence in her life, and at home when alone, imagine he is there (though 'imagine' is not strictly true - delusional is more appropriate but that word also has connotations of madness that may not apply). It's not easy viewing in any sense of the word, but Ozon is absolutely in control of all the elements and Rampling's performance, which seems perpetually on the edge of shattering, is nothing less than perfectly observed, but also restrained, understated, all in facial expressions (see also the work of Kristin Scott-Thomas and Lauren Ambrose). An extraordinary film.

• Doctor S

  
  Meet Cleopatra, the Queen of Denial, except here her name is Marie. Meticulous, sloooow-moving meditation on grief and coming to grips with sudden tragedy. Charlotte Rampling is quite excellent but her withdrawl into a fantasy existence turns the audience into clinical observers and… More
  Meet Cleopatra, the Queen of Denial, except here her name is Marie. Meticulous, sloooow-moving meditation on grief and coming to grips with sudden tragedy. Charlotte Rampling is quite excellent but her withdrawl into a fantasy existence turns the audience into clinical observers and in the end we don't learn much. Well made but too deliberate for some tastes or an unrestrained recommendation.