In a society where talk is cheap and cash fuels everything, it is hard to hold onto any shred of humanity. Money makes the world go round, and, surprisingly, through a cash-based scheme, it can also arrange Belgian citizenship. Navigating through this plight of compassion versus wealth proves to be both a difficult and rewarding task for the Dardenne brothers, as they offer up their latest child, “Lorna’s Silence.”
Famous for their impressive set of films detailing the predicament of the Belgian underclass, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are veterans on the Cannes Film Festival scene. “Lorna’s Silence” is no less striking than the rest of the Dardennes’ collection, as it has garnered itself several awards, including Best Screenplay at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
Yearning to complete her dream of owning a sandwich shop in Belgium with her boyfriend Sokol (Alban Ukaj), Lorna, an Armenian immigrant, becomes enslaved in a nasty citizenship scheme. Under the guidance of Fabio (Fabrizio Rongione), a taxi driver/thug, Lorna marries a junkie, Claudy (J?r?mie Renier), to obtain Belgian citizenship. From the get-go, the plan was for Claudy to be offed and for Lorna to be remarried, this time to a Russian mobster, giving him citizenship and bringing in loads of cash. However, when Claudy tries to quit the habit with the help of his wife, everything goes awry.
Lorna’s “silence” is a choice that is ultimately hers — whether to keep quiet and help the plan move along, or to speak up and bring those responsible to justice. And it is this decision that spurs the rest of the movie on through Lorna’s harrowing journey. It seems as if things can’t get worse for Lorna as the film progresses. And yet, they do. A captivating film, “Lorna’s Silence” is not for the faint of heart.
Arta Dobroshi brings Lorna to life with her entrancing performance. Dobroshi’s eyes are haunting in a face caught in an everlasting expression of disgruntlement. Portraying a character battling several moral dilemmas is no easy feat, as the majority of the conflict occurs inside Lorna’s head, and yet, Dobroshi manages to soar right through it. Dobroshi embodies Lorna’s very essence, at once toying with the audience and sucking them in even deeper.
Renier is convincing as a drug addict, as his behavior is at times completely erratic. His mood can change instantaneously, at one second quiet and moody and the next screaming for help. Through these outbursts and the tender moments shared between Claudy and Lorna, Renier paints a picture of a man desperate to be in control of his own life — not for himself as much as for his wife. Renier’s performance is touching and sure to bring in an overwhelming wave of sympathy for Claudy’s hopeless situation.
Keeping in tune with the Dardennes’ style, this film lacks a soundtrack and is instead full of the mechanical sounds one would expect to hear in a city. The “silence” here is far from figurative as the literal quiet of the movie makes viewers hone in on the acting, full of awkward situations and self-reflection. The majority of the settings are monotonous which, when combined with the gritty camerawork full of close frames and dark lighting, gives the entire piece a realistic feel.
Unfortunately for some, “Lorna’s Silence” will forever be lost in translation, as the French dialogue is actually not the part of the film that is least understood. It’s not until almost the end of the movie that viewers can even begin to understand the plot. The film opens with the relationship between Lorna and Claudy, a relationship that without a backstory is highly confusing. After all, what kind of wife treats her recovering addict husband with apathy? Each travesty that befalls Lorna is another piece of the puzzle, but when no one knows what the puzzle is, half of the film is lost.
The Dardennes’ have done it again, shedding light on the Belgian underclass. “Lorna’s Silence” is full of intense acting, creating traumatic scenes of heartbreak, camerawork beautiful for its utter simplicity and a screenplay made to jerk tears.
In the end, however, it is up to the viewer to decide if the perplexing nature of “Lorna’s Silence” is worth deciphering. But for now, “Lorna’s Silence” is well worth the money, unless, of course, one is in need of Belgian citizenship.
4 stars out of 5.
