Hearts and Bones

From the explanatory notes on Sky, I was expecting something along the lines of 'The Killing Fields'. But this film is quite outstanding and thought-provoking, taking its own very unique direction with its subject. It doesn't focus on the horrors of war, but rather the impact on its victims and its witnesses. It unpicks the moral questions that surround war photography, how it can filter reality, and whose right is it to judge the actions of others who are dealing with their own individual tragedies. All four leads - the female partners of the photographer and the refugee are just as crucial to the story - are excellent and portrayed with delicate balance. The film suddenly develops two climaxes, neatly juxtaposing catharses at different levels by all four characters. Bolude Watson's performance is particularly spellbinding, not least because you begin by not expecting much contribution from her character but she becomes a crucial catalyst in the development of all the other characters and the plot. Powerful stuff. Highly recommended.