The Cage

Though only 25-years-old, Anne (Ducey) has spent seven years in prison for murder. The film opens with her release. Aware it will take time to adjust, and that many will see her as a monster, she concludes there's one thing she must do before she can consider herself truly free. So begins a difficult odyssey. With its long takes, spare dialogue and low key performances, it takes a while to reach the bitter confrontation that constitutes its climax, but the journey - both geographical (into the Provençal Alps) and spiritual - is so richly rewarding that the force of the later scenes derives from the understatement of what preceded them. There's fine naturalistic work from the cast - especially Ducey (from Romance) - but it's writer/director Raoust's assured control of mood and eloquent use of Hélène Louvart's magnificent landscape photography that make the film mesmerisingly beautiful.