James R | On 23, Oct 2022

Director: Emily Atef
Cast: Vicky Krieps, Gaspard Ulliel
Certificate: TBC

More Than Ever is one of many films streaming on BFI Player as part of the 2022 London Film Festival. For the full line-up and how it works, click here.

Silence is a rare thing in today’s world, and often equally rare in cinema. More Than Ever, which charts one woman’s journey navigating a rare illness, is a delicate drama that’s packed with quiet moments – and the emotional impact they carry hits hard.

After wowing in Phantom Thread, Vicky Krieps delivers a fantastic lead performance as Hélène, who has lost a sense of her purpose, direction and ultimately herself – something that we gather all from a simple shot of her staring at herself in a mirror. The late Gaspard Ulliel is equally heartbreaking as Mathieu, her husband who tries to support her through such a difficult time.

The raw and honest script, co-written by director Emily Atef and Lars Hubrich, is simple but astutely understands the way that two people can experience the same situation entirely differently, and the frustration, isolation and pain that can come from the gulf between those experiences – and the warmth, love and empathy that can work to cross it. Without words, we see the gap open up between the couple, and Hélène finds herself looking for connection and understanding with a blogger, named Mister Bent (Bjorn Floberg).

Drawn in by the way Mister posts images without text to explore his own illness, she winds up travelling to his wood cabin in Norway. A slight suspense simmers below the gorgeous landscapes and stunning lakeside vistas, as we wonder about Mister’s motivations and even the potential risks of catfishing, but the real tension lies between her and Matthieu, from the opposite ways they react to the possibility of a lung transplant to their processing of impending grief. Is their restrained, hushed chemistry an indicator of unspoken frustrations, hushed acceptance or a mix of the two?

Amid this tangled web of agency and understanding, Emily Atef draws out movingly understated performances from her two leads, a gently precise dissection of shifting intimacy and silence that speaks volumes.

 

More Than Ever is available to rent for £10 until 23rd October.

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