Title: Tell No One
Year: 2007
Origin: France
Director: Guillaume Canet
Format: Blu Ray
Paul has invited me to vent on this blogspot about films, something I have wanted to do for a long time. I studied film for many years and am basically a bit of a geek, who since leaving college many years ago has had little outlet other than my long suffering wife to discuss/express opinions about film. I can go on for hours, so I will try to keep this brief. Here goes......
Since its release in 2006, Tell No One has been undeservingly overlooked by every major film distributor in both the UK and in America, but thanks to Revolver Entertainment, this top notch thriller has found its way onto Blu Ray.
The film’s focus is based on Dr. Alex Beck (Francois Cluzet). After his wife is brutally murdered, he is left with no option but to pick up the pieces and try to continue with life. At this point, the film skips 8 years later, revealing that Alex simply exists, and holds little pleasure in his family and all other aspects of his life.
Whilst engaging in another predictable day working as a paediatrician, Alex receives an anonymous e-mail showing a video of someone resembling his wife. Just a glimpse of what could be seeps life back into Alex, and the audience is then invited to share in our hero’s pursuit of the truth.
The set up of the film may sound straight forward enough, though it’s not long before Alex is side stepping the Police, being stalked by criminals and all whilst bodies are piling up that point to him.
Cluzet is brilliant as Alex, portraying a credible everyman under pressure. The viewer soon becomes completely transfixed with his quest, sharing in the strong emotional storyline and wall to wall tension that is littered throughout the film.
Director Guillaume Canet sets the tone beautifully, the simplicity of the camera work and none flashy approach suiting the mood and themes of the film perfectly. That’s not to say the director has no visual flair, I feel he just understands the subject matter, and knows that this approach simply ramps up the tension, and allows the story to unfold naturally, and most important, believably.
Credit is also due to all supporting actors. The casting is spot on, and the appearance (though all to brief) of Jean Roachefort (one of France’s most respected actors for the last few decades) is a welcome addition to what is essentially one of the best thrillers to come out of France in recent years.
How this film has not crossed over from the “world Cinema” bracket and found its way into the mainstream is beyond me, though I am sure it’s only a matter of time
Until America takes note, buys the rights and bastardizes it into a Michael Bay directed mess, no doubt starring Vin Diesel or some other equally incompetent actor.
If you’re not a lover of subtitles, please just take my word for it and give this a go. You will soon be engrossed and opening yourself up to some of the best film making around.....
RichM
Does it have a decent car chase though?
ReplyDeleteLe Car Chase
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh about the pic of Vin Diesel.He is really bad
ReplyDeleteRich is right. Excellent film.
ReplyDeleteAlmost ready with my best albums, songs and films of the year. Anybody else thought about this yet?
Oh: Miramax and Focus Features Intl. have snagged English language remake rights to Gallic thriller "Tell No One" from EuropaCorp and Kathleen Kennedy has come on board to produce.
ReplyDeleteMiramax and Focus will co-develop the project, still in early stages of development. No director or cast have been attached although a start date of spring 2010 has been tentatively set for principal photography.
The original French-language pic, centered on a doctor grieving for his dead wife who then discovers she may still be alive, was a surprise hit last year in the U.S. with grosses topping $6 million for nascent distrib Music Box. "Tell No One" also grossed $22 million in France and $2.3 million in the U.K.
EuropaCorp financed and co-produced "Tell," the first film adaptation from prolific American novelist Harlan Coben.
Miramax will take domestic rights on the remake while Focus Features Intl. will retain all international rights with the exception of France where EuropaCorp will release the pic.
EuropaCorp is also in negotiations with a U.S. partner for an English-language remake of "District B13," about an undercover policeman and former criminal trying to infiltrate a gang armed with a neutron bomb. That remake will be retitled "Brick Mansion."
Sorry Craig, no car chase i'm afraid, though there is a particulary good scence where he has to dodge oncoming traffic, Will this make up for the lack of a car chase?
ReplyDeleteAlso devastated that I did not do my research before writing review, only to find out a re-make is already in the works...
Lets hope Miramax do a decent job. They used to be spot on, but seem to release any old tripe these days.
AndyS - have you seen "let the right one in" yet?
Well, hopefully the remake can correct the car chase error. Nice review though, I rarely see films these days, so I will use these to appear knowledgeable when talking to people who do.
ReplyDeleteAndy, I meant to keep some lists this year after failing miserably to recall anything I liked when this was suggested last year. But I never got around to it. Perhaps we could do a top ten of stuff we meant to do but somehow let drift until it became too much of an effort. Cleaning out the garage is probably under threat at Number 1 this this year.
However, all is not lost. I still have the Ladbrokes Diary for 2009 to hand. How about if I suggest that we add to the categories you mention with subjects where I have notes to jog my memory.
At first glance I could do;
Best Sporting event (a poor year with the relegation and our successful FA Cup 2010 campaign not starting until January 2nd)
Best Gig (I think I went to about 15, so even with the tragic Splodgnessabounds show I should be able to list ten half decent ones)
Best Other thing (Could be anything that isnt either of the above but warranted a diary entry, ranging from comedy, fishing trips, visits to the dentist, haircuts etc. A general sweeping up exercise really of all the other stuff).
Best Stuff you didnt do. (Seems a little bizarre, but I have loads of good stuff in the diary that I made a note of, but then for one reason or another, generally idleness, I didnt get around to doing and had to draw that sad thin line through the diary entry that denotes that I didnt do it. I have to do that as I have a drawer full of Ladbrokes Diaries going back to 1994 and I dont want to confuse myself in years to come at my failure to recall events that were in the diary but took place whilst I was at home watching that posh girl stick gold leaf on pears. Its a telly programme rather than my latest perversion, although there's possibilities I think).
Craig: Your best of list this year is easy. To save you the trouble, I'll do it for you:
ReplyDeleteBest Album: All The Beatles reissues (in Mono)
Best Reissues: The Beatles
Best Gig: Mott The Hoople
Best Festival: End Of The Road
Best Sporting Event: Women's High Jump at the European Championships
Rick M: "Let The Right One In". Absolutely top film! Up the there in my top five of the year (with things like Star Trek...I can do populist as well!).
ReplyDeleteFor those of you who don't know. Let The Right One in (title from a Morrissey song) is about a 12 year old vampire girl and her relationship with a young boy who is being bullied at school. Set on a drab housing estate in 1980s Sweden in the middle of winter, it is resolutely un-flashy and un-hollywood...almost like a social documentary. Just wait until Michael Bay gets his hands on it...
I just thought I'd check and there is indeed going to be a Hollywood version of Let The Right One In. Directed by Matt Reeves, who directed Cloverfield (good), but also wrote Under Siege 2 (I'm thinking not quite so good). Maybe Steven Seagal can play the bloke with the cats?
ReplyDeleteAndy S - Have you seen Park Chan Wook's Thirst yet? i'm really looking forward to that, and are you a fan of his vengeance trilogy?
ReplyDeleteBloody hell,you two would be a barrel of laughs down the pub!
ReplyDeleteNot seen Thirst - it's on my list with Lovefilm. Have seen Oldboy, but not the rest. Pretty good, but not a huge fan.
ReplyDeleteAnother favourite this year was "The Wave". Seen that?
Yes, I saw it and read the book. If you like this one then you should try to see the film "Baader Meinhof Komplex"-one of my favourite films this year
ReplyDeleteBaader Meinhof was excellent too. Also one of my faves of the year.
ReplyDelete