Dheepan (PG) ****

By Alan Samuel

           Marriages of convenience can be tricky at the best of times.  Throw in political turmoil and third world conditions and the results can be chaotic. Morals and growing pain are all part of the dilemma facing recent immigrants in Dheepan. Stirring performances highlight this Mongrel Media release now teeing off at The Fifth Avenue Cinemas

        With the world still in turmoil over the plight of Syrian refugees Dheepan  goes off in a new direction.  Hot spots of the world abound. Canadians and especially Torontonians should be aware of the plight of the Tamil Tigers.  After a slow start that perfectly sets up the remainder of this drama we watch as a fighter named Dheepan faces new turmoil in a new homeland.  Not much of a talker, charismatic  Jesuthasan Antonythasan keeps to himself with a new life in France.

           How Dheepan fled Sri Lanka provides more background to the man's inner turmoil as two rather reluctant women make the journey with him. Wife for hire Yalini pines for merry London while supposed daughter  Illayaal just wants to be accepted. Both Kalieaswari and Srinivasan and Claudine Vinasimthambi pull off memorable performances as females who wear their hairs on their sleeves.

         Holed up in a slum infested neighbourhood the trio have to make do. Bad conditions outside and difficulties on the Home-front lead to second guessing and confrontations that turn their not so merry neighbourhood into a war zone.

      Frank, brutal and honest Dheepan paints a devastating portrait of a sheltered family disintegrating before our very eyes. Emotional with not so subtle messages Dheepan director Jacques Audiard deliver an intense drama not soon forgotten.

Dheepan won the Palme d'Or at Cannes film festival last year.