Film: Tell No One

Director: Guillaume Canet
Genre: Thriller
Source: France (2006)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Streaming
Grade: A-

The phrase "Hitchcockian" is probably thrown around too much when discussing thrillers, and while Tell No One is a top-notch thriller with moments clearly indebted to the master, I would hesitate to call the film as a whole Hitchcockian. Canet is interested in the thrill and mystery of the story for sure, but he is more interested in the emotional forces inspiring the story rather than the psychology (which always strikes me as Hitch's focus). The film works in large part because Canet allows the film to slow down and explore the passion and pathos of the journey, rather than just the mental twists. 

Francois Cluzet, as Alexandre Beck, is definitely an everyman protagonist. Though a successful doctor, he is also charmingly regular, both in his appearance and in his life. The murder of his wife early in the film breaks his heart (unless it doesn't) and eight years later he has put his life back together but still finds himself shadowed by her death. When he receives a strange email, he begins to suspect that not all is what it seems, and his pursuit of the truth drives him from friends to enemies to friends who might be enemies. 

The film's pace is at times leisurely, but punctuated by intense moments of action, such as Alexandre's mad flee from the police, or an attempted kidnapping later in the film. Canet uses sound brilliantly throughout, both in creative music choices (often with plot or thematic significance) and in his decision during some key moments not to use music, but to simply let the diegetic sound create the tension of the scene. It works, and I found myself drawn in even more than I imagine I would have by the traditional thumping Hollywood soundtrack. That run from the police is a great example, again. As Alexandre runs, he doesn't shout or yell, he doesn't have an invasive score telling us to be tense--he simply runs, looking behind as the police draw ever closer, keeping his focus on trying to escape. It's incredibly effective, and it reminded me of Hitchcock's innovative use of sound (and here I said I wasn't going to make those comparisons). 

The film is taut without being absurd, energetic while still taking the time to delve into the emotional implications of its story. At its heart it is really a love story, and that focus allows the story to be more than just a standard thriller.

Alternate Film Title: "Pressure Points Are More Dangerous Than You Thought"