Sous le sable

François Ozon has briefly left the provocative playfulness and extrovert satire of Sitcom and Les amants criminels behind him and demonstrates with Under the Sand that his name as one of the greatest talents of recent years is entirely justified. His enormous tempo of film-making does not in any way harm the quality. Under the Sand, a deeply sensitive and subtle film about the pain of losing a loved one, is his most mature work so far.Marie (Charlotte Rampling) and Jean (Bruno Cramer) have been happily married for years and are on holiday in Western France. As is their custom, they spend their holiday in a cottage on the coast. When her husband goes swimming and, after a brief afternoon nap, Marie wakes up, she finds that her husband has not returned. Despite intensive searches by the coastguards, he is not found. Has he drowned or did he leave without a word? Months after Jean’s disappearance, Marie is back in Paris. She does her best, but lives a withdrawn life. Friends try to find her a new man, but Marie is convinced that Jean is not dead and that he will return. Even when a body is found that fits Jean’s description, Marie won’t believe it is him. It is only some time later, when she starts seeing a charming publisher and rediscovers her own sexuality, that Jean seems to take a back seat in her life.