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Starring: Francois Cluzet, Marie-JosÈe Croze, AndrÈ Dussollier, Kristin Scott Thomas SYNOPSIS: On their anniversary Alexandre (Cluzet) and Margot Beck (Croze) go to the lake on their property as part of an annual tradition. Tragedy strikes as Alex is knocked unconscious and Margot murdered. 8 years later Alex is still mourning his wife’s death when he receives an email with a link to a surveillance camera where a woman resembling Margot shows herself to him. CLICK HERE and TV episodes REVIEW: Without having read Harlan Coben’s bestselling novel I had no idea what was expecting me. The trailer told me that there would be a heinous murder followed by an ordinary man’s attempt to find some answers. It starts by setting up how happy the Beck’s are as a married couple, but the director spares no time to get to Margot’s murder. And before we know it 8 years have passed and Alex is a somewhat reclusive and depressed widower. The street thug Bruno is given a big introductory scene as he tries to get his injured son into the ER. He even punches a doctor before Alex can intervene and calm down the situation. Bruno then tries to thank the doctor with a wad of cash. And when Alex laughs and asks him to put his money away, he instead offers his services in the form of a plasma TV. Right here we know that Alex will come to rely on Bruno’s services as the movie unveils. And this is a streak I would like to highlight. There are more than a few set ups in this movie and they are in fact all paid off. The director, like Coben before him, leaves no holes in the story for the audience to fill.
Let me point out that Alex is no more James Bond or Jason Bourne than the guy selling you the paper this morning. It’s the story of an ordinary guy that’s being thrown into an unordinary series of events. This is much of the brilliance to the story as we have so much easier to identify and feel compassionate with him. There is one particular sequence where this is strongly portrayed. After having fled from the police, who suspects him of murder, Alex faces a 6-lane highway in order to escape. His only option is to defy the heavy traffic and make it to the other side of the road. There’s nothing elegant or serene about his escape. It’s doubtful, clumsy and downright scary. It’s safe to reveal that Alex makes it to the other side and leaves a minor pile-up and the cops momentarily behind him. But him doing so leaves you with a strong feeling of what you just witnessed felt both real and truthful. The British actress Kristin Scott Thomas does a great job supporting the cast as Alex’s homosexual sister. Thomas who usually is seen in major Hollywood productions shows up most of her range as she fights with her wife, tries to be Alex’s grounded confidant and gives both the police and her brother’s lawyer a piece of her mind. Tell No One borderlines on a 5 out of 5, but it is actually the soundtrack that manages to bring it down to a solid 4. It feels a little as the French filmmakers tried to make it a more accessible and export friendly movie in the post production phase. The soundtrack that includes songs by Jeff Buckley and U2 feels a bit off and doesn’t really match the French tone of the movie. Nonetheless this is a solid effort by Canet and not only a must-see for the appreciators of French cinema.
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