Cannes Review: Jacques Audiard's 'Dheepan' Is An Excellent, Searing & Compassionate Drama

The last decade or so has seen Jacques Audiard establish himself as one of the best, and best known, French filmmakers currently working. He first gained international attention with 2001's "Read My Lips," and then with the terrific "The Beat That My Heart Skipped" in 2005. But it was 2009's prison epic "A Prophet" that really made his name by winning the Grand Prix at Cannes, picking up an Oscar nomination and becoming a cult hit worldwide.

2012's melodrama "Rust and Bone" continued the trend, with stellar reviews and awards buzz, bringing him to his largest audience yet, thanks to the presence of megastar Marion Cotillard. His follow-up, however, marks something of a return to his roots, a lower-budget drama starring a cast of unknowns, while simultaneously feeling like new territory. Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also absolutely terrific, and one of the strongest things he's made so far, a film containing all Audiard's strengths and...