French writer Philippe Claudel, who has written such novels as MEUSE L'OUBLI and QUELQUES-UNS DES SCENT REGRETS and such screenplays as AT MY FINGERTIPS and GREY SOULS, makes his debut as a writer-director with the emotionally harrowing I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG. Kristin Scott Thomas (THE ENGLISH PATIENT, THE HORSE WHISPERER) stars as Juliette, a woman who moves in with her sister, Léa (Elysa Zylberstein), after 15 years in prison. Léa's husband, Luc (Serge Hazanavicius), is not comfortable with Juliette's sudden appearance or her developing relationship with his and Léa's two young adopted Vietnamese children, P'tit Lys (Lise Ségur) and Emélia (Lily-Rose). Meanwhile, Léa's friend and coworker, Michel (Laurent Grevill), takes quite a liking to Juliette, as does her playful parole officer (Frédéric PIerrot), but Juliette is hesitant to make any new friends--she's harboring a secret that is tearing her apart. She does, however, find a kindred spirit in Luc's father, Papy Paul (Jean-Claude Arnaud), who has suffered a stroke and can no longer talk but still manages to communicate in unique and clever ways. Claudel allows the complex story to come together at a slow and steady pace, its power building to a tearjerking conclusion. Thomas is spectacular as Juliette, conveying the deep hurt she feels in every nuanced movement as she tries to reclaim her life. The beautiful, evocative score is by French pop star Jean-Louis Aubert.