The French film Tell No One (Ne Le Dis A Personne) has been getting some of the best reviews of the year.It is a fascinating crime thriller, based on a novel of the same name by Harlan Coben. The plot is incredibly intricate, and the cast is superb. The main protagonist is played by Francois Cluzet (Dr. Alexandre Beck), who looks like a young Dustin Hoffman. His wife is played by Marie-Josée Croze and the British actress Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) plays Beck's sister's lesbian lover (with impeccable French).
The film is the only summer release that I went back and saw a second time. It is simply that good.
The plot is intricate, but the direction is so expert that one is never lost or confused, just amazed and entertained as the story unspools. In addition, the use of music to deepen the emotional impact of pivotal scenes (U2's "With or Without You" and Jeff Buckley's "Lilac Wine" are especially poignant) is particularly noticeable during a second viewing.
Another interesting aspect of the film is its intimate look at how real French people live their lives right now (in Paris). The film depicts a French pediatrician, a gangster, a ghetto (banlieue), and several police officers going about their daily business. It is fascinating to see a contemporary European slice of life, so matter-of-factly portrayed. This is just one of the many significant features of the film that strengthen its connection to the viewer.
At the end of the film all of the seemingly disparate strands of the mystery are tied together in a very neat knot and the audience is left with a feeling of awe and appreciation at a well-executed film. (It will be released on DVD on October 15th, 2008.)
IMAGERY: A-.
PLOT: A+.
ACTING: A.
IMPACT: A+.
OVERALL GRADE: A.
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