During the early years of German occupation of France, romance blooms between Lucile Angellier, a French villager and Bruno von Falk, a German soldier.
Sterling performances lift the occasionally soapy storyline in this semi-successful adaptation.
A much-admired text is respectfully brought to the screen in a film that nonetheless struggles under the burden of its war movie clichés.
The wayward pacing is another problem, though Dibb still pulls off some choice moments – from an early standout scene as the Germans attack the villagers in an air-raid, to the wrenching finale. Be sure to pack a hanky.
This Suite is a shallow, sugary dirge.
A partial adaptation of an incomplete French novel shot in Belgium by a predominantly British crew using English as its main language, this is a film that can never escape its contrivances.
Everyone involved has been better elsewhere.
A 'Hollywoodised' but nuanced treatise on love and war.
It just feels as if a little of the life and passion have been squeezed out of it which is no fault of a very good cast.
The story behind the source material for Suite Française is so fascinating it’s a shame the film on screen never finds a way to successfully convey its essence.
The acting is excellent, especially from the two attractive leads, and there is much to enjoy and think about afterwards.
There are more than enough rough edges in this portrait of a town torn apart to override any melodramatic gloss, and an impressive sense of balance that belies the tumultuous birth of Némirovsky’s handwritten manuscripts, which heartbreakingly accompany the closing credits.
Saul Dibb on shooting his new film Suite Francaise
The tragedy and legacy of Suite Francaise author Irene Nemirovsky
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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