There are a lot of legal dramas out there.
On television, this past year has seen great shows like Better Call Saul and ones that are less so like The Lincoln Lawyer.
In film, there have been compelling works like Argentina, 1985 that effectively grounded themselves in history.
All are built around the various dramas to be found in legal proceedings.
Each, in their own way, grapples with the mundanity and absurdity of us placing our hopes for justice in systems that are ill-equipped to repair what has already been broken.
Yet none are like writer-director Alice Diop’s monumental first narrative feature Saint Omer.
First premiering at the Venice Film Festival, it reveals its most haunting truths to us slowly even as it seems to lay all its cards on the table early on.
In doing so, it confronts us with deeper truths we would otherwise ignore.
Read full article