Starring: François Cluzet, Marie-Josée Croze,
Marina Hands, Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Guillaume Canet
Release Date: July 2, 2008 (Limited)
Running Time: 96 min
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributor: MusicBox Films

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Review by David DiMichele

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Tell No One is a French thriller that requires its viewing audience to know nothing more than the main character does. In this way, director Canet heightens the level of realism and creates scenes that have us scratching our heads alongside the main character, Alexander Beck (Francois Cluzet). This confusion couldn’t have worked if Cluzet didn’t have the face of both an innocent puppy and of a sly secret assassin, a man capable of just about anything. So much so that when he changes his attire during the film he takes on the persona that the clothing represents. He’s an everyman and that makes us even more suspicious as Tell No One moves towards its rewarding climax. In order to get there, however, the film follows a procedural route that leads to a detour which takes the film into a complex labyrinth of events with scenes a first-rate spy film would kill for.

There are so many thrilling sequences that lead into a cascading fever, an itch you just have to scratch! But the story, adapted from a Harlan Coben novel, is so full of airtight plot lines that we can never guess beforehand what will happen. We just sit back, observe and become absorbed in the game: the game of Hitchcock. Cue two of Hitch’s fancies: obsession and having the wrong man accused of a crime he knows he didn’t commit. The latter dominates in every way imaginable, through a man being chased along a Paris beltway, to a man realizing the world he’s up against won't reward him with any allies.

To dissect Tell No One would would wreck the initial viewing. It works so elegantly because we have no clue what to expect next. After seeing it the first time, the second time around will give you twice the fun. All I can do is to tell you the basics: Alexander, a widower who is a pediatrician and in fine physical shape, gets news that after eight years his wife might still be alive. Like The Fugitive, to solve this mystery he’ll have to go through people who are out to get him at any cost. We know he’ll go through any obstacle because Canet gives us flashback scenes of the two lovers on a gorgeous lake surrounded by a garden with a flourishing tree at its center. Carved into its bark are initials from when they were boy and girl. It’s these flashback scenes, which are set to an incredible soundtrack and to which Canet falls back regularly, that cut most deeply.

Although at times the film seems too complex, it never once gets boring. The movie may seem like it could be split up into several different mini-stories, but that’s the point of the entire film. It’s full of unanswered questions and has an array of fascinating characters who pop in and out whenever they want. All of this works because the director, no matter which road he takes, knows where he’s going to end up. Finally, when it’s over, you feel almost obliged to sit down and dissect it in your head ... headache-producing stuff!

Film Rating: *** 1/2 out of ****

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Comments (3)

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I saw Tell No One at our local theater which actually only shows Indie movies. It was really nice to see a movie that wasn't about the actors and instead about the story.

edelweiss , August 31, 2008

Canet rocks!

Can you imagine, he was that guy in The Beach with Leonardo diCaprio! Correct me if I'm wrong, but the guy is really going places.

Jed , August 31, 2008

Tell No One

Why not 4*s? This is as good as a thriller gets.

David Kramer , October 21, 2008

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