Under the Sand

Charlotte Rampling puts a dignified face on denial in this cinematic meditation on the multitude of emotions that follow the devastating loss of a loved one. After her husband disappears at the beach during summer vacation, she's not entirely willing to presume he's drowned. Somewhat tormented by the lack of closure, she returns to Paris and goes about her life fantasizing--to the point that that her friends begin to worry--that her husband is still alive and living in their apartment. Writer-director Francois Ozon (Sitcom, Water Drops On Burning Rocks) seems to have an understanding beyond his 35 years about middle age and the harmonies of long-established marital routine. But it's Rampling's wonderful performance, walking a thin line between hope and delusion, that gives the film its fundamental power. Recommended. (R. Blackwelder)