‘Armand’ Review: Renate Reinsve Is Riveting in Fearsome Chamber Drama

In one of many standout scenes in the astounding “Armand,” a woman sits in a classroom where she is discussing allegations surrounding her son. Elisabeth, played by an unmatched Renate Reinsve, suddenly begins to laugh. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she can’t stop no matter how much the others plead with her. It goes on and on before the pained laughter turns to agonized sobs as everything Elisabeth has been carrying comes pouring out all at once. There is something unshakably mesmerizing coursing through this scene and the film that surrounds it. Just as the floods of melancholy threaten to swallow the characters whole, you don’t dare look away.