"Dheepan" is the newest movie by French writer and director Jacques Audiard and it won the BAFTA-winning filmmaker his first Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Many people call 2015 the year of refugees and immigration, at least here in Germany and that is why the subject of this film is such a fitting one in the face of current developments. Most of the dialogs in here are in Tamil, so make sure you get subtitles for this one. The most known cast member is maybe Marc Zinga, who also appeared in the newest Bond film recently. Vincent Rottiers is also fairly known, at least in France and he probably gave my favorite performance in this movie, even if I have to say he did not really look like somebody with a name of Brahim. The two lead actors are still very unexperienced and new to film and I will not bother you with their complicated names. But they play their parts well too.

To me, "Dheepan" needed a while to become interesting really, probably at least the first 35-40minutes that didn't do too much for me. However, then it became more interesting, so the middle part of the film was certainly my favorite. I was a bit too disappointed with the ending. It did not feel too realistic, was very forced as a happy ending in my opinion and the scenes before when the protagonist almost turns into some kind of terminator weren't too convincing either in my opinion. Shame, this film could have been a lot better than it actually turned out. Apart from the very dramatic parts, it has quite a documentary feeling to it. This is neither a negative or positive statement. You have to decide for yourself how much this is up your alley.

Overall, I did not like this film as much as Audiard's previous work, "De rouille et d'os", but that's nothing unexpected as there is no Marion Cotillard in here and I totally adore her. Nonetheless, as a whole, I thought "Dheepan" was a good watch once it got going. Good acting, good writing and a memorable character study that gets a bit destroyed by the ending unfortunately. Many very atmospheric scenes included in here. If you like films about culture and social struggles, especially in France these days, and you have a chance to see this one in a theater near you, go check it out. You will probably not regret it. There is also a massive irony to this film in terms of where the characters come from, but how they witness war in the so-called western world. It is also interesting how we perceive it as tragic and inconvenient, while we do not really think about the long time violence and war have been an essential component in dozens of other countries for decades now.

Greetings again from the darkness. Wars exist in many different forms. Some are over contested international boundaries, others are religious conflicts, while others are more personal and intimate. The stories of many refugees could be described as fleeing one type of war only to end up fighting a different kind. Such is the story of Dheepan.

Jacques Audiard is one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. A Prophet (2009) and Rust and Bone (2012) are both compelling films, and though his latest may not be quite at that level, it's still full of intensity and personal drama. Mr. Audiard co-wrote the screenplay with Thomas Bidegain and Noe Dibre, and some of it is based on the remarkable real life story of lead actor Jesuthasan Antonythasan.

Dheepan is a Tamli soldier who is so desperate to flee Sri Lanka that he teams with a woman and young girl he doesn't know to form what looks like a real family. By using passports of people killed during the war, the pre-fab family of three is issued visas to live in France. Dheepan gets a job as the caretaker for an apartment complex riddled with crime, violence and drugs – and learns to keep his mouth shut and eyes open.

It's fascinating to watch these three people navigate their new life as they struggle with the language and a new culture. There are flashes of real family problems, but also the awkwardness of three whose only true bond is their escape from their previous life. Living in such close proximity means their true colors are bound to shine through no matter how much effort goes into the family façade.

Jesuthasan Antonythasan (Dheepan) and Kalieaswari Srinivasan (as Yalini his wife) are both excellent and powerful in their roles despite being so inexperienced as actors. Their exchanges are believable, as is their disparate approach to the future. Ms. Srinivasan is especially strong in her scenes with local thug Brahim, played by Vincent Rottiers. The two have such an unusual connection … alternating between warm and frightening.

Some have found fault with the final action sequence, but it's such a fitting turn of events given Dheepan's past … plus the camera work is outstanding. The film won the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and it's another notch in the belt of filmmaker Jacques Audiard. It's also a reminder that we can never really escape the past.

Although it must be a coincidence, the timing of this film's release is pitch perfect. Just when thousands of Syrians are trying to escape their warn-torn country, and some European politicians are complaining about a 'swarm of migrants, trying to plunder the welfare state', 'Dheepan' shows what it is all about to be a refugee.

It is about desperation, about fear, about loneliness, about poverty, about not being able to leave your past behind, no matter how hard you try. And yes, it is also about deceit.

The refugees in 'Dheepan' have to lie to get away from the civil war in Sri Lanka. They pretend to be a family of three, but in reality they are neither husband and wife nor the parents of their child. This makes their life in Europe even more complicated. The tensions between the three of them come on top of the difficulties they already have adapting to life in a new country.

The film shows how the title character, a former Tamil Tiger, gets a job as a caretaker in a crime- and drugs-ridden apartment block in the Paris suburbs. They have fled the violence of their own country, only to be exposed to violence of a different kind. In the end, this turns the peaceful caretaker Dheepan into a fierce fighter once again.

There has been some debate about the ending. It differs from the rest of the film. The raw realism from Dheepan's life in the rundown neighbourhood gives way to a more spectacular, adrenalin-fueled style. Although it is quite a change, I thought it worked well. It gives the film a sharp edge, particularly in contrast to the epilogue, which offers food for thought in itself.

Audiard once again has made a very powerful film about strong characters trying to survive in difficult situations. As in his other films, his heroes are ordinary people, with character flaws and weaknesses, who nevertheless show strong determination to get what they want out of life. For a French director, it takes some guts to make a film which is mostly spoken in the Tamil language. It's proof of his original and individual approach to film making. As much praise as he deserves, he couldn't have done it without the remarkable accomplishment of his two lead characters, who show an incredible range of emotions without a single moment of overacting.