Illegal

Olivier Masset-Depasse's drama centers on Russian émigré Tania (Anne Coesens), who is living the life of a shadowy illegal alien in Belgium with her teenage son Ivan (Alexandre Gontcharov). Apprehended by the police for not having identification papers, Tania is incarcerated at a detention center, where she will face trial, followed inevitably by deportation. While in the holding facility, Tania refuses to give her name in the belief that this will delay the proceedings against her. Tania is able to maintain telephone contact with Ivan, although she is upset to learn that he is making money by working for a Russian criminal. Illegal, a Cannes prize-winner, approaches its difficult subject matter with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, especially as Tania's yearning to be reunited with Ivan leads her to take desperate actions (indeed, much of Tania's detainment is characterized by standard-issue jailhouse melodramatics). However, Illegal is redeemed by Coesens, who tears into the role of Tania with brutal energy: her physical and emotional investment pays off with a stunning performance of uncommon visceral power. Recommended. (P. Hall)