Tom Tykwer’s entrancing Heaven came out in 2002 setting a high precedent for the films to come in the Heaven, Hell and Purgatory series that Krysztof Kieslowski left unmade on his death in 1996. This nuanced script was shot with great style, and complimented by stunning performances from Cate Blanchett and Giovani Ribisi. L’Enfer presents a number of versions of hell. In telling the stories of three sisters, Anne, Celine and Sophie, director Danis Tanovik lavishes the viewer with dark visuals and a warped and evocative sound design. Rich with classical illusions relating to transgression the three stories hark back to a common trauma that not one sister has dealt with. The central contention is that tragedy is dead and all that is left is drama, with the script also presenting the disparity between destiny and coincidence. In the final scene the girls‚ lives are drawn together and justice is meted out. With riveting performances from Karin Viard (Celine) and Emanuelle Beart (Sophie) and a Jean Rochefort cameo (which needs no qualifying adjective), this is a striking but not entirely convincing film.—Catherine Bisley