Stylish yet brutal

A beautiful and powerful film about a family mystery which unfolds in unexpected ways. During the reading of their mother's will, twins Jean and Simon learn that they have a brother they didn't know existed and father they thought was dead. Tracking down their mother's roots takes them back to her home in the Middle East, and a country, culture and conflict they are entirely unfamiliar with.

The film has a fictional setting but is set against the Lebanese civil war. This is not explicit and it takes concentration to follow the factions and sequence of events in the flashbacks, particularly if you're not familiar with Lebanese history.

The cinematography is gorgeous and the acting is understated yet poignant, good because the storyline has enough drama to carry the film along. I didn't feel particular empathy for the main characters but the devastating consequences of war were made painfully clear.