Lourdes
Dir: Jessica Hausner
2009
*****
A film destined to be misunderstood I wonder. Jessica Hausner's Lourdes is a film about a young woman in a wheelchair who is paralysed with MS and is embarking on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, the holy retreat in the southwest of France that many believe to be a place of miracle healing after a visitation of Mary to a local many years ago. This isn't meant to be a film about religion (Christianity), faith, the existence of God and/or the possibility of miracles. That's just a narrative to uphold what the film is really about, and that is people (although obviously faith is explored but in the context of the human condition rather than as in religious/catholic faith). Every human emotional trait is explored, and quite wonderfully so. It is subtle, accurate but never preachy, pompous or pretentious. It is also my favourite film of 2009 and in my opinion, one of the best of the decade. Jessica Hausner is a director I'm definitely going to be looking out for and Sylvie Testud is a wonderful actress who I'm equally on awe of. Utterly captivating and oozing charm, it is a beautiful film.