“Under the Sand”

Directed by Francois Ozon

Written by Francois Ozon, et al.

“Under the Sand”

Directed by Francois Ozon

Written by Francois Ozon, et al.

The most decidedly convincing and altogether correct choice director Francois Ozon made in his new drama “Under the Sand” is his use of microphones to pick up every possible sound in the area.

That’s because “Sand” isn’t about people talking or chemistry between characters, but about one woman’s personal struggles. For this portrayal, a deep sense of silence is important; the mere sounds of the woman’s daily life acquire extreme value.

Charlotte Rampling – still a tremendous and beautiful actress – plays Marie Drillon, a middle-aged wife married nearly 25 years to her husband Jean. Unlike most film couples these days, Marie and Jean are still in love and still maintain a functional marriage. At the start of the film, the couple departs for their yearly summer vacation at the beach.

On the first day of their hiatus, they decide to spend a day on the beach tanning, swimming and reading. Jean asks his wife if she would like to go swimming, and Marie replies that she wants to take a quick nap first. When she awakes, Jean is nowhere in Marie’s range of vision.

He has disappeared.

The movie continues with Marie’s struggles to let go, to step out of a state of denial and tell herself that Jean is gone. She must decide to allow others to help her mourn and to learn to love others.

It is in these scenes that the haunting absence of dialogue intrigues the audience.

Rampling, who appears in every scene, and alone in most of them, is fully prepared to show Marie’s pain in new and true ways.

Marie overcomes her sorrow not through a sloppy mess of tears, but through laughter and fatigue, anger and love, routines and visions of her husband that will end as soon as she stops creating them.

Rampling’s startling performance touches the very core of the disappointment of loss – be it of money, a prized object or the love of your life – in a way that seems to portray a new theme rather than one that’s age-old. The supporting cast is often left in the dust and unable to elevate their performances past cliche.

And as if a wonderful performance isn’t enough, Rampling speaks throughout the film in two languages, her native English and a convincing French. Often she will change in mid-conversation just as her character – also born a Brit – might do.

But, alas, one person can only do so much. Ozon often makes decisions that only detract from Rampling’s work, instead of enhancing it, such as by using cuts that are too distracting or gratuitous nudity.

Still, he manages a rather solid job throughout. It would take belligerent sabotage to ruin the highlight of “Under the Sand” that is Charlotte Rampling.

“Under the Sand” is in French and English with subtitles. It is playing exclusively at Pittsburgh Filmmaker’s Regent Square on South Braddock in Edgewood.