Incendiary (2008) Review

A woman’s life will be changed forever when tragedy hits at a football match, as her four-year son and husband are caught up in a terrorist attack.

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The only thing I had heard about this film before watching it was that the Emirates was blown up. I did not realise that it was more a drama and very deep into the mind of someone who lost everything in those few seconds of the explosion. The story focuses on a young mother (Michelle Williams) and her 4 year old son. She does not seem to have the best relationship with her husband, and cheats on him with strangers.

One of these strangers is Jasper (Ewan McGregor) who is a reporter for the Daily Express. They are actually together when the explosion happens at the football match which her husband and son attended. Suicide bombers attacked the ground killing just over 1000 people. The woman, who’s name is never said then takes a trip to attempt to rebuild her life. She finds out that one of the bombers left behind a wife and 11 year old son. She then keeps folling the boy and helping him out. At times thinking that it is her little boy.

Aside of all this Jasper is still trying to be with her, but she does not really want to see him at all. He will always remind her of where she was that day when her husband and son died.

I thought Michelle Williams performance really was fantastic and so from the heart. She really was believablewith all of her grief. When going into the phase where she convinced herself that her son was still alive and pretended to do things with him, that was so heartbreaking. Especially when she realised that he was indeed gone, by looking at the big balloon that was in the sky in his memory. I found that scene so powerful and for a few seconds I actually thought she was going to jump from the roof of the building where she was standing.

But know that would have spoilt one of the main points of the movie, that disasters happen and you have to move on from them by re-doing your life and starting all over again. How acts of terror while they might destroy your life and take people from you, it does not end your life and you have to find away to restart it.