64. Saint Omer; movie review

 

SAINT OMER

Cert 12A

123 mins

BBFC advice: Contains upsetting scenes, sexual violence references, infrequent strong language

Why would any parent kill a child?  The premise of Saint Omer suggests that not even they would know.

I had contrasting feelings about Alice Diop's movie - at its heart is a riveting courtroom drama but much time is also spent on a meandering tangent.

Guslagie Malanda plays a mother who admits she killed her 15-month-old baby but cannot explain her actions.

Indeed she tells the judge (Valérie Dréville) that she hopes the trial will help her understand.

And yet, her story is inconsistent and she blames her background and even sorcery for her terrible crime.

Meanwhile, the film's other focus is an author (Kayije Kagame) who is also of Senegalese descent and is attending the hearings with the prospect of writing a book about it.

Apparently, this is an echo of the true story of Fabienne Kabou whose 2015 trial was attended by Diop and had a profound effect on her.

However, Kagame's character is not explored enough for my liking - there are hints at a disturbed past and parallels to the woman in the dock but I needed more.

One of Saint Omer's big pluses is that it shows how the French legal system works with the judge more of an inquisitor than a referee as they are in Britain.

The trial, therefore, is less adversarial and seems to be set up to find answers rather than being a stage for lawyers to show how smart they are.

That said, the killer is an enigma and every time the audience thinks it has worked her out, she changes direction.

This would all work if there is a satisfying denouement. Alas, Saint Omer poses almost as many questions as it answers.

Reasons to watch: Tense courtroom drama

Reasons to avoid: Wanders off down quiet avenues

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Decisions in French 'cours d'assises' (assize courts), which meet at least four times per year and try criminal cases as opposed to minor infractions or misdemeanours, are rendered by a 12-member panel, composed of 3 judges and 9 jury members from the general public.

The final word. Alice Diop: "The reason this true crime, this incident, interested me was much more than the crime. It’s because it allowed me to bring up all these other issues that range from mythology to tragedy to a collective portrait of a society." Slant

Share this post