Lorna's Silence

Theatrical Release Date: 2009 07 31 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 043396324114

Studio: Sony Pictures

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Profanity, Sexual Situations, Drug Content]

Summary: An Albanian woman living in Belgium finds her dreams of opening a snack bar with her boyfriend leading to tragedy after she agrees to marry a Russian Mafioso in order to gain citizenship. All Lorna wanted was to start a small business with her loving boyfriend, but in order to make that happen she would first have to gain citizenship. Local mobster Fabio claims that he can make that happen if Lorna agrees to a sham marriage with a man named Claudy. After gaining Belgian citizenship, Lorna discovers that a high-profile Russian Mafioso is also seeking legal entry into Belgium, and soon. He's willing to pay a hearty sum in order to marry Lorna, but in order for that second marriage to be possible Fabio will have to have Claudy killed. Will Lorna be able to remain silent as Fabio's deadly plot unfolds, and what will become of her if Fabio finds out that she has warned Claudy of the impending danger he faces? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: In Competition – Cannes Film Festival Best Screenplay – Cannes Film Festival Best Screenplay – Cannes Film Festival Film Presented – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Film Presented – Melbourne International Film Festival Film Presented – London Film Festival

Lorna's Silence

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 01/05/2010

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 105 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) French

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Lorna's Silence
1. Scene 1 [7:40]
2. Scene 2 [12:57]
3. Scene 3 [6:58]
4. Scene 4 [7:53]
5. Scene 5 [6:19]
6. Scene 6 [7:33]
7. Scene 7 [8:33]
8. Scene 8 [5:02]
9. Scene 9 [12:27]
10. Scene 10 [6:31]
11. Scene 11 [10:55]
12. Scene 12 [12:33]

-1

Often the most profound and gently moving dramas are the simplest. A complex, almost Byzantine backstory surrounds Lorna, the troubled central character of the Dardenne Brothers' chamber drama Lorna's Silence, and most surprising is that it neither weighs the film down nor interferes with its emotional magnetism, because the central arc remains so beautifully clean and concise. Neophyte Arta Dobroshi stars as the title character, an Albanian woman in her mid-twenties, enmeshed in a bizarre immigration scheme in contemporary Liege, Belgium. She nurtures a simple aspiration: to move to Italy with her boyfriend, and purchase and run a snack counter. But those dreams have clashed with the economic realities of life in early 21st century Europe, compelling Lorna to take desperate measures. Prior to the story's outset, she turned herself over to the clutches of a slimy thug named Fabio (Fabrizio Rongione), who set up an illegal marriage of convenience between her and an addict, Claudy Moreau (J?r?mie Renier), in exchange for Lorna's Belgian citizenship. On the verge of obtaining the money she needs for the snack bar, Lorna makes extreme and desperate attempts to break out of the nuptials, by physically abusing herself (beating her head against the wall until it is bloody, pounding her shoulders purple with her fists) and formally accusing the bewildered Claudy of domestic violence. Meanwhile, Claudy endures a hellish withdrawal and Lorna feebly helps him through it. Physical intimacy develops between the pair, but not long after, Fabio forces Claudy into a fatal overdose. Lorna plans to leave the wiles of the immigration scheme, but Fabio has other plans for her -- plans that involve remarrying her to a Russian mobster in exchange for a hefty sum of cash. Before long, Lorna perceives the net that confines her and realizes that she won't escape from Fabio's clutches without a nasty struggle. At the outset, the Dardennes hand us a character so wrapped up in herself, her desires, and her needs that she grows all but blind to the individuals ensconcing her -- and will do nearly anything to achieve her shallow ends. The drama hinges on an unforeseen, life-changing circumstance that dramatically recolors Lorna's perceptions of her place in the world and forces her to project care and compassion for someone other than herself, violently rejecting the pull of fate in the process. Working in tandem with the subtle Dobroshi, the filmmakers deftly pull off a graceful hat trick by achieving a complete tonal transition. For the first 40 minutes, we feel neither particularly sympathetic to Lorna nor accepting of her manipulations. But as she begins to develop a capacity for selflessness, our sympathies also shift -- to such a degree that the final act brings complete emotional investment in this young woman's life, tied to the hope that she will begin to make the right choices. Again, the slightly confusing details surrounding the immigration scheme scarcely matter; her direction and the need for an exit strategy suddenly become crystal clear. She has, in effect, grown up and must seize control of her life for the first time. That this decision generates an adequate amount of suspense, given the threats posed by Fabio's minions, probably goes without saying. The film's sudden and slightly inconclusive denouement feels less successful. If anything, the last few scenes can be read as uplifting, but following the Dardennes' successful conveyance of Fabio as a malevolent and resourceful psychopath, the film almost demands a cleaner resolution. Fortunately, this flaw does little to detract from the marvelous emotional sweep of the drama that precedes it and the top-shelf performances from the entire ensemble. ~ Rovi

Cast and Crew: Denis Freyd  Producer 
Jean-Pierre Dardenne  Director 
Jean-Pierre Dardenne  Producer 
Jean-Pierre Dardenne  Screenwriter 
Luc Dardenne  Director 
Luc Dardenne  Producer 
Luc Dardenne  Screenwriter 
Olivier Bronckart  Executive Producer 
Arta Dobroshi  Actor 
Jérémie Renier  Actor 
Fabrizio Rongione  Actor 
Alban Ukaj  Actor 
Morgan Marinne  Actor 
Olivier Gourmet  Actor 
Anton Yakovlev  Actor 
Grigori Manoukov  Actor 
Mireille Bailly  Actor 
Stéphanie Gob  Actor 
Laurent Caron  Actor 
Baptiste Sornin  Actor 

Country: Belgium,France,Italy