Cert 15
107 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language and strong violence
Punctuating a day of Turkish cinema on Saturday was a quick trip to Wood Green Cineworld for Suite Francaise, a movie of which I had very high hopes.
This was because it boasted, in my view, two of the world's best actresses - Kristin Scott Thomas and Michelle Williams.
But, while there is much to admire about Saul Dibbs' film, I have to say it fell short of my expectations.
However, I'm struggling to pinpoint exactly why. The story, based on Irene Nemirovsky's novel, is engaging and the performances are of high quality but it fails to have the certain 'je ne sais quoi' which might have tipped it into the Oscar arena.
Williams plays the mousy wife of a French army officer who has been away from the home which she now shares with her fearsome mother-in-law (Scott Thomas).
Their world of power and privilege is undermined when Nazi soldiers roll into their small town.
One of the Germans (Matthias Schoenaerts) is billeted with the pair and tongues start to wag about his relationship with Williams' character.
Meanwhile, betrayal, conspiracy and rebellion are sparked in almost equal measure among the locals.
Scott Thomas is brutal but splendid as the monstrous mother-in-law while Williams is more low-key until the first flicker of romance.
Schoenaerts who seems to be omnipresent at the cinema this year (he's in the forthcoming A Little Chaos and Far From The Madding Crowd), is convincing as the unwilling Nazi.
Suite Francaise looks and sounds good (its title is based on a piece of music) but I just felt the Nazis weren't ghastly enough, its resolutions were to easy and its edge should have been sharper.
Director Saul Dibb: "Irene Nemirovsky, the author of Suite Francaise, began writing as the events in France of 1940/41 unfolded. It's from a civilian's point of view and more from a female point of view."
Reasons to watch: Evokes the oppression of Second World War occupation
Reasons to avoid: Its solutions are easier than they would have been.
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 7.5/10