Leo

This accomplished feature debut from award-winning ad director Mehdi Norowzian is an atmospheric and visually stunning film that never sacrifices content for style. Two Mississippi stories are told in alternate bursts: one concerns a released prisoner, Stephen (Fiennes), who works at a grubby diner; the other, a nervous suburban wife, Mary (Shue, in a stand-out performance), whose life spirals into tragedy after she's told of her husband's affair. Never rushing its narrative, the film gives us plenty of time to absorb these intricate personalities, gradually introducing the theme of resistance (or otherwise) to the cruelty of chance.