Incendiary (2008)

“Incendiary” is the most insulting, exploitive film I’ve seen to tackle Islamic terrorism and mass death. It’s an awkward, miserable watch barely saved by Michelle Williams’ performance, which itself sinks to hysterical wailing. Williams plays a London mom, devoted to her child, but unhappily married to a bomb squad technician. At a bar one night, she meets a rich (!) investigative reporter (Ewan McGregor) who takes her home. They screw. When he comes to her place days later, they do it again. During, she watches the telly as her boy and hubby die in a stadium bombing. The silly title is partial literal as mom starts a diary – get it? – as if it were written to Bin Laden. “Incendiary” sinks into its own asshole with hubby’s boss announcing his love to the destroyed woman, McGregor stalking her with notepads, government conspiracies, and all sorts of nonsense too ridiculous to repeat. Every other minute, the film becomes more sensationalistic and sickly insipid. The most grievous sin: A happy ending that made me sneer. D