Venice Film Festival 2019: REVENIR (BACK HOME)
Revernir (Back Home) directed by Jessica Palud is a seventy-six-minute boiling pot of emotional frustration, a toxic gut punch that slowly reveals itself in a dark and brooding drama.
A Spectacular Kitchen Sink Drama
The film follows Niels Schneider as Thomas, who has to return to his mysterious family farm when he hears his mother (Hélène Vincent) is dying. The farm is frought with tension: his father (Patrick d’Assumçao) whom he has not spoken to in a decade resents his presence and his recently deceased brother’s girlfriend and son (Adèle Exarchopoulos and Roman Coustère Hachez) wait in financial purgatory.
The performances are so exceptional here that if the actors had no dialogue whatsoever, Revenir would hold itself up through body language alone. The tension in each performance is a phenomenal feat, making each character’s emotional drain and intensity in their circumstances agonising to watch — specifically Adèle Exarchopoulos, who is terrific as Mona. Her arc is the core of the film and how she conveys the emotional pressure of loss and despair in silent devastation is heartbreaking.
A Masterclass of Stoicism
There is a stoic intensity here. Some might find that it’s to the detriment of the film’s pacing, but the edit by Thomas Marchand is exquisite. When the film needs to breathe, it pauses and reflects in silence. When the film explodes, it does so in small, intimate moments of outburst.
Nobody speaks, but words are not needed. The silent atmosphere speaks far better than words in this scenario. At every corner, there is an issue that jeopardises the future and livelihood of each character with moral decisions that are not clear-cut and it’s hard for the audience to decipher whether the characters are helped or hindered by their choices.
What makes Revenir stand out is the outstanding cinematography by Victor Seguin. It is incredibly warm and intimate with a stunning colour palette, perfectly echoing the characters and the film’s themes throughout.
Revenir: Conclusion
Revenir is a terrific boiling pot of emotional intensity. Terrific editing and a beautiful turn of cinematography add a stunning bliss to this emotionally complex and heartbreaking drama that covers loss of life, as well as loss of time for those who need it.
Will you be watching Revenir? Let us know in the comments below!
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