Movie review: ‘London River’

Two strongly divergent yet equally stirring performances anchor “London River,” an intimate drama set against the 2005 London Underground and bus bombings that killed more than 50 people. Though slowly paced and sometimes overly coincidental, the film, directed by Rachid Bouchareb from a screenplay he wrote with Zoe Galeron and Olivier Lorelle, contains enough emotionally satisfying moments to keep us invested in its lead characters’ heartfelt journey.

Brenda Blethyn plays Elisabeth, a Guernsey widow who travels to London to find her 20ish daughter, Jane, who has seemingly vanished since the terrorist attack took place. As the anxious Elisabeth uncovers a few surprises about Jane’s life and her potential whereabouts, she crosses paths with Ousmane (Malian actor Sotigui Kouyate), a French-speaking African forester also in London looking for his estranged son, Ali.

Inhibited by the city’s multiculturalism and, in particular, her knee-jerk suspicion of Muslims, Elisabeth takes a while to warm up to the soulful Ousmane. But when it turns out the two parents have more in common than it might initially seem, a deep, if careful bond forms between them.

Blethyn brings tremendous empathy to the introspective, determined Elisabeth, while the tall, gaunt and dreadlocked Ousmane fleshes out his less-dimensional role with a haunting sadness that speaks volumes.

Note: This review was originally published Nov. 13, 2009.

“London River”

MPAA rating: Unrated.

Running time: 1 hour, 24 minutes.

In English, French and Arabic with English subtitles

At Laemmle’s Royal Theatre, West L.A.