Tell No One (Ne le dis personne) (2006)

Director Guillaume Canet

Starring Franois Cluzet, Kristin Scott Thomas

An old style thriller in the mould of The Fugitive and The 39 Steps, one that is totally dependent on storyline and acting rather than special effects.

A youngish married couple relax after taking a midnight swim together until a minor dispute separates them. The woman, Margot swims back to the jetty only to disappear amid cries for help, Alexandre, her husband quickly follows but is beaten unconscious and dumped in the lake.

The present, eight years after the assault, Doctor Alexandre Becks life listlessly flits between the hospital and his pet dog. That night was the last time he saw his wife alive, her father had identified her body, the victim of a serial killer.

Until. an E-mail arrives containing a video clip showing a woman who looks exactly like his dead wife.

Around two hours of twists and turns, red herrings, chases and deaths ensue as Alexandre finds himself not only trying to find out if his wife is still alive, but also avoiding the police who suspect him of murder. 

Politics, bent cops, thugs with a heart of gold and psycho killers abound in plentiful supply as the plot leads through a trail of murders, deception and lies. Alexandre continuously foils the police while discovering that he knew next to nothing about his late wifes life. 

Time will tell if he can discover the truth before he is framed for murder.

The cast are fine, not at all surprising when you look through the wealth of experience on hand. The plot though is unfortunately too befuddled with unwarranted complexities and far too many characters that feel as though they were just thrown into the mix to add a bit of excitement, the final denouement is unfortunately painfully long as well as leaving the audience with nothing left to chew over.

Enjoyable and entertaining but lacking any real depth. Will it have enough thrills for a U.S /U.K. audience? If it was a Hollywood production itd probably do well, as it is, with so many people unwilling to watch subtitled films, it doesnt stand much of a chance.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15.