Clément Cogitore’s debut feature is all eerie, suspense-ridden atmosphere, capturing the low-level thrum of war’s constant menace, ‘relieved’ only by outbursts of violence. We’re at some blasted Afghanistan military outpost where a small unit of French soldiers attempt to coordinate with locals (to little effect) and hold back Taliban fighters. An all but pointless exercise in an ill-defined mission. And things only get worse when some men (along with the company dog) go missing, as if vanished. A search leads to a meeting with enemy Taliban (uncannily staged to have them emerge out of rock & land). It’s no ambush, instead, a standoff as both groups blame the other for their own unexplained ‘vanishings.’ No captures, no kidnappings, no fatalities, and no explanation. Agreeing to a temporary truce to search for the missing, all they come up with are more mysteries involving ancient caves; tethered goats in remote locations (what could they signify?); and a local adolescent with the answer of a true-believer. Shot in an effective mix of grainy POV shots, scavenging hand-held work & dramatic lighting that conceals as much as it reveals, Cogitore manages to work all the way thru to an ending both tidy & unresolved.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Extra credit for dialing down the usual actorly intensity often seen in these stories. With no one busy auditioning for their next gig.
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