Incendies

A set of Canadian twins, male and female, of Middle Eastern descent, learn at their mother's will reading that her last wishes include both of them delivering letters to their thought to be dead father and a brother they never knew they had. Separately, the siblings embark on a journey that will reveal dark secrets about their family's past, and as these discoveries are revealed we see the tumultuous path their mother's life took up until her passing. Canadian export and Foreign Film Oscar nominee Incendies is a powerful film from director Denis Villeneuve that wonderfully tells a harsh story through the use of a complicated dual narrative structure which it pulls off well. Lubna Azabal is excellent as the mother and must undergo a wide range of emotions on her brutal journey which she conveys superbly. It's been quite awhile since a film's twist has taken me aback, yet this film's secret is shocking and unexpected. Incendies is an example of filmmaking that tells a great story yet challenges at the same time.