TELL NO ONE (NE LE DIS A PERSONNE)

France, 2006, 131 minutes, Colour.
François Cluzet, Marie- Josee Croze, Andre Dusollier, Kristin Scott Thomas, François Berleand, Nathalie Baye, Jean Rochefort, Marina Hands, Gilles Lelouche, Philippe Lefebfre, Guillaume Canet.
Directed by. Guillaume Canet.

Tell No One is based on a best-seller by Harlan Coben. This reviewer confesses that Coben is one of his favourite authors. Not only does he construct intricate plots for his thrillers, he also writes tantalisingly enjoyable prose with a gift of the entertainingly incongruous metaphors, often from modern pop culture.

So, what is a writer whose stories generally take place in New Jersey doing with a French film. Guillaume Canet is a popular young French and international actor (The Beach) who was fascinated with the novel and decided to adapt it with his writing partner, Pbilippe Lefebvre, and set it in France. The adaptation works very well. (Harlan Coburn is alleged to have said that the ending is better than his original.)

The film has received critical acclaim and has won four French Cesars (including best actor and direction) and has also proven popular.

When the wife of a doctor is murdered, the doctor is initially thought to be the killer. But he himself was attacked and has little memory of what happened. Eight years later, some bodies are discovered in the area and he comes under suspicion again. He then receives an email message and some streaming video which suggests that his wife is still alive.

The writers keep Coben’s characters – quite a large cast – and the steps of his plot as more and more complexities are revealed. In fact, the cast is most impressive. Francois Cluzet is excellent as the harassed doctor, with Marie-Jose? Crozee as his wife. Character actors include veterans Nathalie Baye as a lawyer, Jean Rochefort as a business tycoon, Kristin Scott Thomas as a friend. Cauet has cast himself as a very nasty type who is killed.

Just as American adaptations of French films (and there are many) Americanise them (and are harshly criticised for this), so the French have Frenchified (or Gallicised) the American story – and are being highly praised for it!

Interesting, entertaining and substantial.

1. The popularity of the original American novel? Transfer to France, characters, situations, locations, spirit?

2. The strong cast, the many awards?

3. A popular thriller? Innocent victim, persecuted and pursued, trying to unravel the mystery? The law, police, lawyers?

4. Alex’s story, successful doctor, the murder of his wife, eight years later, his success? Contact from his alleged dead wife, email, streaming video? The continued pursuit, the attack on his friends, the murder of Charlotte, his being suspected of this murder? His sister, support, Helene, hiring the lawyer, the work of the lawyer?

5. Margot, her disappearance, the email contact? Her seeming to go to bonus ironies?

6. Alex on the run, the murder of Charlotte, circumstances against him? The encounters with Bruno, his gangster background, his help, rescuing Alex?

7. Elizabeth, her work, evidence?

8. Margot’s father, the revelation that he faked her death? The bruises, the photos? His motivations?

9. Philippe Neuville, criminal background, paedophilia, Margot confronting him? His attack on her? His father, protection, the law?

10. The events in the past, Margot’s father, confronting Philippe, Philippe’s father? The shooting? Philippe’s death?

11. Margot’s father, the confession to Alex? Knowing that Alex was wearing a wire? His revelation that he did not shoot Philippe but that Margot did and he was protecting her? His killing himself?

12. Philippe’s father, interventions, his death?

13. A happy ending after all the deceptions?