A superior French thriller

Tell No One - 4/5

This is a French film adapted from an American novel and directed by the young French guy from The Beach (Guillame Canet). The plot centres around Dr Alex Beck (Francois Cluzet), whose wife (Marie-Josee Croze) is murdered. Eight years later two bodies are dug up near to the murder scene and Dr Beck starts to get anonymous e-mails which appear to indicate that his wife might not actually be dead. He soon finds himself on the run from the law after being framed for another murder, hiding from a bunch of very murderous criminals and trying to piece together what on earth is going on.

It is easy to imagine a Hollywood version of this movie with Will Smith or Tom Cruise in the lead which would turn it into a warchable but average thriller. It is a tribute to Canet's skill in only his second film as director that he lifts it above this. Firstly, quickly establishing Cluzet and Croze as a very credible couple you actually care about and then holding you enthralled whilst leaving you almost as clueless as Beck himself. It is also a tribute to the uniformly excellent cast that they steer the characters away from the genre stereotypes that they could have been: from the borderline OCD cop who begins to realise that all is not what it appears to Kristin Scott Thomas (again demonstrating her fluency in French) as Alex's sister's lover. Cluzet, in the lead, is brilliant, always keeping his character grounded in reality despite the very un-real situations he finds himself in.

Canet skillfully handles some stunning action sequences - a police chase on foot through traffic being a highlight, but is equally adept with quieter more reflective moments and perfectly captures Alex's stress and confusion. Even the final act, where very dark revelations revealed by monologue, would threaten to drown a weaker film are handled with enough subtlety and restraint to see the film over the finishing line. (Apparently there are also some changes from the novel here, so readers might find themselves quite surprised).

All in all this is a very well-executed thriller, which should keep you suitably puzzled until close to the end. Check it out now, before the big budget Hollywood remake ruins it.