Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Francois Cluzet, Andre Dussollier, Marie-Josee Croze,
Kristin Scott Thomas, Nathalie Baye, Francois Berleand
Written by Guillaume Canet & Philippe Lefebvre,
based on the novel by Harlan Coben
Certification UK 15 | France U
Runtime 125 minutes
Directed by Guillaume Canet
A French interpretation of a glossy American thriller? It’s not the most obvious of combinations, is it? Tell No One is Harlan Coben’s best-selling beach-read slab of crime fiction as distilled via the medium of French cinema. That pairing — the outlandishly page-turning breathless style of a Grisham-esque novel, big plot devices and constant twists married to delicately observed character study — sounds eccentric but, on this evidence, it works extremely well.
Alex Beck (Francois Cluzet) is a doctor who, eight years ago, was knocked out in the brutal attack that left his wife Margot dead. Some of the policemen investigating still think Alex was to blame — despite a serial killer being found guilty of the crime. So, when two bodies are unearthed not far from the murder scene, Alex is prime suspect number one. Alex though has other things on his mind. He’s received a mysterious e mail which instructs him to ‘tell no one’ — and appears to show Margot alive and well. Is she alive? How can that be? And just who are the people who apparently want Alex dead and / or framed?
These sorts of thrillers generally work well on the page but, due to the massive suspension of disbelief frequently required, they often fall apart on the screen. Somehow, with this lower key approach, director Guillaume Canet moves everything at breathless pace yet, as the layers are peeled away and the intricate details of the (admittedly far-fetched) plot are revealed, Canet’s unerring devotion to character means it remains grounded in some sort of reality. Canet also never loses sight of the fact that, at the story’s heart, lies a deeply romantic love story and the struggle to come to terms with great loss. The final scene — which in glossy American hands would have felt like a Marine-style assault on the heartstrings — is an enormously touching moment. It’s pure manipulation, of course, but it feels entirely natural.
Cluzet, a crumpled everyman, is terrific in the man-against-the-odds lead role, and his transformation from respected doctor to canny fugitive is never less than believable. The support work is of equal quality, particularly from Brit Kristin Scott-Thomas as Beck’s best friend and Andre Dussollier as Margot’s father, but it’s almost churlish to single anyone out. This is high octane, deeply satisfying entertainment.
• Official UK Site
• Tell No One at IMDb