Le Refuge

Le Refuge ("The Refuge" for all you non French speakers) is François Ozon's most recent release (though Potiche has recently finished production...)and although I've admittedly never seen any of his other works, I will now be doing my best to track them down; especially Angel, Un Lever De Rideau, Swimming Pool and Water Drops on Burning Rocks. I've heard nothing but good things about Ozon in the past, and boy did this particular film prove them. The script is funny, moving and tender, the acting from the three leads (especially from the mesmerising Isabelle Carré) is flawless: never under or over played. Each shot is full of the style one would expect from a French release, and although the film deals with the consequences of drug use and death, anything but strangers to the big screen as camera subjects, nothing about the film feels clichéd or done. If you're interested in seeing this, it's released over here (on DVD I think, but maybe in cinemas...) on August 13th by Artificial Eye.