★★★★

Every single one of us belongs to a community. Whether it's a household, a religious group, or a workplace, we all have groups we fall into that each carry their own set of expectations which must be upheld. But at what point do we lose our individualities in order to conform? Disobedience, Sebastián Lelio's follow-up to his Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman, explores the complex and intricate nature of this question. Through gorgeous cinematography, powerful performances, and a story of forbidden love, Disobedience reminds us to ask ourselves: are we truly the person that we want to be? 

After learning about the death of her father, Ronit (Rachel Weisz) returns home to London where she is faced once again with the Jewish Orthodox community she grew up with and abandoned. She stays with her childhood friend, Dovid (Alessandro Nivola), who is now a rabbi, and whom she also discovers is now married to her other childhood friend, Esti (Rachel McAdams). As Ronit grieves, old feelings between her and Esti begin to resurface, and the women are forced to face the community's scorn over their rehashed romance. 

Lelio's direction with this film made it quite moving and soulful. Each scene was its own piercing slow-burn, and really made the weight of that pressure placed on the characters to conform to the community's strict rules feel perceptibly heavy. The colour scheme was greatly focused on blacks and greys, emphasizing the bleakness and entrapment that this community represented to Ronit and Esti in the way it prevented them from pursuing their true desires. Besides the significant darker palette, the film was beautifully shot, each angle specifically selected to provide a given tone and perspective to the situations being depicted. 

Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams greatly propelled this film with their convincing and emotional performances. Both women were completely captivating in the way they carried their characters and their respective stories, and had incredible chemistry with one another. They received practically all of the film's screen time, save for Nivola, who played the only prominent male character in this film. The actresses were truly crucial in giving the film its resulting shape. 

While Disobedience is a love story, it is also a story of overcoming limitations and finding liberation. How does one stay true to herself when everyone is telling her it is the wrong thing to do? Especially if it is those she is closest to? The film may not present all the answers, but it tells us the only thing we need to know - once we listen to our hearts, the rest becomes a lot clearer.