«Many things are to be found in Mama's and Papa's homes. But go about it gently. Everyone is entitled to his share. And don't ever forget: What fate has in store for us one can take away. Beware of impostors, smooth talkers, and thieves. As for the white material, the party's over. No more cocktails on shaded verandas while we sweat water and blood. They're getting out and they're right to run scared. Our rulers are already trembling, their suitcases stuffed with booty they amassed while you starved.»
A mysterious tale about a woman and how she dealt with a civil war between some young rebels and the so-called patriots in her "own" soil. She's white, French and lives in an enigmatic unnamed African country, set in a postcolonial time. Chaos, fight and destruction reign, as she desperately tries to take further the wish to harvest her coffee plantation, almost blind to the consequences regarding that same wish, something even the poor and innocent workers, striving for food and money, can acknowledge - we don't quite know if that's what she's really struggling for, but we assume it as a superficial remark about her character. Isabelle Huppert, one of the all-time finest, doesn't give us that kind of powerhouse performance like only she can. Instead, she takes a shyer path, giving Maria - the name of her character - a great sense of persuasion, always hiding her true colors from people around her. In other words, her performance is quite remarkable and helps the movie to grow in a natural humanism (even if we don't want to admit it, she's a true heroine with good intentions that simply aren't strong enough to prevail). Her best and most merciless scene comes near the end and it's superb. Denis, of course, directs with an unparalleled soft but cruel style, working with our brains instead of our eyes (and her visuals are amazing). White Material - the name echoes what African child soldiers called to the personal belongings of their "superior ones" - is food for thought, if we consider the crisis that surrounded so many African countries and the revenges, full of death, taken after years and years of oppression. With a story that essentially explores the roots of evil, it's a movie that rewards every viewer and offers a lot, especially if you're a concerned individual.
A mysterious tale about a woman and how she dealt with a civil war between some young rebels and the so-called patriots in her "own" soil. She's white, French and lives in an enigmatic unnamed African country, set in a postcolonial time. Chaos, fight and destruction reign, as she desperately tries to take further the wish to harvest her coffee plantation, almost blind to the consequences regarding that same wish, something even the poor and innocent workers, striving for food and money, can acknowledge - we don't quite know if that's what she's really struggling for, but we assume it as a superficial remark about her character. Isabelle Huppert, one of the all-time finest, doesn't give us that kind of powerhouse performance like only she can. Instead, she takes a shyer path, giving Maria - the name of her character - a great sense of persuasion, always hiding her true colors from people around her. In other words, her performance is quite remarkable and helps the movie to grow in a natural humanism (even if we don't want to admit it, she's a true heroine with good intentions that simply aren't strong enough to prevail). Her best and most merciless scene comes near the end and it's superb. Denis, of course, directs with an unparalleled soft but cruel style, working with our brains instead of our eyes (and her visuals are amazing). White Material - the name echoes what African child soldiers called to the personal belongings of their "superior ones" - is food for thought, if we consider the crisis that surrounded so many African countries and the revenges, full of death, taken after years and years of oppression. With a story that essentially explores the roots of evil, it's a movie that rewards every viewer and offers a lot, especially if you're a concerned individual.