“The Heroes Never Die” is first and foremost the story of a group of friends who decide to go to Bosnia because one of them believes he is… the subject of reincarnation!
Headlining the film is the delightful Adèle Haenel in great form. After “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” she continues to be a muse for the camera that films her. Although this time, she does not entirely embody the role of the main character.
The main character, Joachim (Jonathan Couzinié) – with whom she shares the screen – believes himself to be the reincarnation of a former Bosnian war soldier named Zoran. This happens just after a man on the street accosts him and claims to have recognized him.
Ordinarily, imagine someone recognizing you on the street, calling you by a different name than your own… it would be quite strange to play along and believe it! However, that is not the case for Joachim, who, unsettled by this encounter, does everything he can to understand who he was in a past life.
Although the film begins with this oddity, with a rather amusing tone, it is not so later on. One no longer knows if it is a documentary, a drama, an experiment? Perhaps it is a bit of all three.
Still, let’s appreciate the remarkable performances of the two stars, Adèle Haenel and Jonathan Couzinié, who skillfully juggle one emotion to another with great ease.
