Tell No One

[ellen_datlow]

Today I went with a friend to see a french thriller that had been recommended to me. Tell no One directed by Guillaume Canet, who apparently, checking imdb, is an actor/heart throb --and was in The Beach, which I never saw--and whose partner is Marion Cotillard (star of La Vie en Rose). The movie is based on a novel by Harlan Coban.

We were both very impressed. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say it opens with a married couple driving to the lake where they grew up (there are flashbacks to their childhood together throughout). The wife is abducted, the husband knocked out. There are many effective red herrings, the plot is complex, the acting is great, and we found the whole movie (slightly over two hours) riveting. Kristin Scott Thomas played a major role and was excellent. The others were french actors, most of whom I'm not familiar with except for Nathalie Baye and Jean Rochefort.

After watching it we went to the bathroom and everyone was discussing the movie --several women were confused. Unfortunately, some other woman came out of the stall and asked us to please stop talking about it as she hadn't seen it yet. I told her the plot was so complicated that she probably wouldn't remember what we'd said anyway.

My friend and I decided we'd like to see it again, particularly the opening scene, in order to place all the characters. My only problem with the movie is that two of the main characters looked so similar to each other that I thought they were meant to be sisters. They were not. In fact, they were inlaws, so it was a little more confusing than necessary to me.

Comments

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"My only problem with the movie is that two of the main characters looked so similar to each other that I thought they were meant to be sisters. They were not. In fact, they were inlaws, so it was a little more confusing than necessary to me."

That was my sole problem with the movie too. Otherwise (and in fact despite this), stunning.

The novel's pretty damn' fine, too. One of Coben's best.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Whew. So it wasn't just me ;-). My friend didn't seem to think it was a problem.

I've never read him. We were wondering where the novel takes place (I'm assuming not in France).

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"We were wondering where the novel takes place (I'm assuming not in France)."

He's a Joisey boy. Most of his novels (insofar as I have thought about this) have NYC as a primary setting with occasional forays into Joisey. Even a mediocre Coben novel (and there are several early ones that are thus) is good time-filler; some of his more recent ones go 'way past that.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I can't swear to it, but I think I was seated next to him the one time I attended the Edgars.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Next time you're out here I'll lend you a few, if you'd like. The good'uns tend to be white-knuckle rides that one devours in an oh-my-gawd-is-it-oh-fuck-really-4am-really-really? spate!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Y're welcome, ma'am.

[mattkressel.livejournal.com]

I saw that movie and loved it! Where I thought it would descend into cliche, I was delightfully surprised at the turns of plot. And what an ending!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes. (no spoilers everyone. Don't worry).

I want to see this.

[themadblonde]

Thanks for the warning. I have appallingly bad facial recognition on a NORMAL level, so things like this confuse me no end. Otherwise, sounds cool.

Re: I want to see this.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

And please pay attention to the opening dinner party (not a spoiler) so you can tell me who is attending :-)

I will try...

[themadblonde]

We're trying to extend our mini-vacation through another weekend by doing fun things around work. A movie would be great. I'll try to remember about the dinner scene, but I'm pretty bad about faces, particularly early in a film.