The Lost Forum

Tonight I promote a french movie we've been to see a few days ago with Liewen and Nau in our favourite movie theater: Guillaume Canet's Tell No One (Ne le dis à personne)

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This movie is an adaptation of the book of the same name, Tell No One, a best seller written by Harlan Coben. Quite surprising that the adaptation is a french movie, and its director a young one with only one movie done before.

Guillaume Canet, who had loved the book and wanted to make a film of it, had contacted Harlan Coben, explaining him his desire to adapt the book to the big screen and how he wanted to do it. He had also offered him a copy of his former (and first long) movie: My Idol (Mon idole).

If Harlan Coben liked this movie and Canet's vision for his book, the rights were already sold and the adaptation was already on the tracks with Michael Apted at its direction and Keanu Reeves in the main role.

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Hopefully for Guillaume Canet the initial adaptation project collapses and when Harlan Coben got back his rights on his books, he decided to give his chance to the young french director.

It seems regarding harlancoben.com that the author clearly not regreat at all his decision today !  :D

But let's speak about the story of the movie itself now, at least, the starting plot of the movie to not spoil you the rest of this very breathtaking thriller.

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Eight years ago, Margot Beck (Marie-Josée Croze) has been murdered by a serial killer.

If the killer has confessed eight of these murders, he has always denied to be responsible for Margot's one. Anyway the specific mutilations found on her body made all doubts disappear.

Today Alexandre Beck (François Cluzet), her husband, is still deeply morally injured by the loss of Margot. Only a total investment in his work of pediatrician temporary allows him to escape his memories during the day, and only Hélène Perkins' (Kristin Scott Thomas) friendship saves him from total isolation to the rest of the World during the rest of the time.

The uncovering of two bodies near where Margot's body was discovered brings new elements and reopens the Police inquiry. At the same time Alexandre receives a strange e-mail with a link to a video-surveillance web-cam and a time when to watch it...

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One of the most unexpected thought which came to my mind of french spectator while I was watching Tell No One is that François Cluzet has been very badly under-employed during all these former years !!

Outside France I doubt many of you will know his name before seeing this movie for he has been often in second roles or in very french comedies or romantic movies (I said "often" not "always" ). Here François Cluzet shows the great potential he can offer for an action movie and it was really quite a surprise for me which I applaude with both hands.

Here Guillaume Canet has had "a lot of noise" to perceive this potential and make it explode on our screens. He also has the very good idea (and rare opportunity I guess) to reunite an amazing bunch of stars. Just look at the casting in the IMDb quotation.

Putting such great actors like Jean Rochefort or Nathalie Baye in short roles brings a lot to the movie's credibility and atmosphere. Like in Olivier Marchal's 36 Quai Des Orfèvres, the second roles have been taken in account as seriously as the first ones with all actors giving their best in a common emulation and, by the way, Olivier Marchal participates himself to this success with a very good interpretation of his mysterious character of handyman.

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As I said, most of the actors are well known veterans and so it's easy to expect the best from them. But nonetheless, many movies exist to proove that the direction stays important and that some very good actors can give petty performances if they are not driven. Therefore Guillaume Canet's work must be saluted here imho, with all the cast of course cause really all the cast is amazing of accuracy.

I've also liked the image of the movie, quite similar actually to the 36 Quai Des Orfèvres quoted above, except that I find Olivier Marchal, under Michael Mann's influence (yeah ! I knew I'll manage to speak about Michael Mann once !! ), actually has a "little something more".

The rythm of the movie is really intense but not maintained during all the movie which sometimes is surprising but, don't get me wrong, I've liked Tell No One a lot and give it easily a well deserved 4/6.

Go see it if you have the opportunity to !!

Chevvie