3 stars (out of 5)
Writer/director François Ozon’s next offering after last year’s rather ludicrous Young & Beautiful is drawn from Ruth Rendell’s 1985 short story and might have felt somewhat more daring back in those far-off ‘80s. It’s also very difficult to discuss without giving away the secret (but surely guessable) plot twist, although the entire plot hangs upon it and you can’t help but wonder if the fairly hairy Romain Duris was really the best choice to play the male lead.
Anaïs Demoustier (in a star-making performance after supporting parts in films like Elles and last year’s Folies Bergère) is Claire, who tells us in voiceover about how she and Laura were lifelong friends and a sorrowful montage shows them as children and then as adults, as both get married, Laura has a baby daughter named Lucie and, soon after, dies. Wracked with despair, Claire promises to watch over Lucie and Laura’s husband David (Duris), and when she can’t get him on the phone some weeks after the funeral she goes to his house (the door’s unlocked???) and discovers something hidden about him, a quirk that’s been given away elsewhere by those who don’t seem to realise that it’s meant to be a surprise. Freaked out at first, Claire nevertheless remembers her vow and tries hard to understand David, and actually finds that it helps her bond with him, soothe her pain and feel closer to her husband Gilles (Raphaël Personnaz), who starts to sense that she’s keeping something from him. And she is, but not what he’s expecting.
Arguably reminiscent of ‘camp’ Ozon entries like Angel and 8 Women, this has good enough work from Duris, but is truly saved by the lovely and lively Demoustier, who plays Claire with a winning combination of terrible grief, sweet humour and liberated happiness. She’s the one who sees you past the improbability factor and ensures that you don’t leave feeling too (dare it be said?) queer.
I Wake Up Screening 