Sous le Sable (François Ozon, 2000)

Under the Sand moves from the abrupt disappearance of Charlotte Rampling's husband to a disheartening realisation that denial of the event has turned her quite hopelessly barmy, still buying him gifts, having conversations and recoiling when those around her try to address the reality of what happened. It could fall quite easily into hysterics, but Rampling's chief virtue as an actress is a pursed, highly-strung aspect quite alien in its intensity, which for once works with no small efficacy to give a subtle reading of teetering on the brink while coping with loss. Ozon can be a frustrating director to persist with, though. He manages to be truly poetic in parts, but is also tempered by a failure to hold any firmer a grip on maintaining narrative direction than its protagonist's hold on sanity.

6/10