Tell No One (Ne le dis a personne) (2007)

You know that feeling when you've really been looking forward to seeing a film and it turns out to be a disappointment...

Okay, this wasn't a huge disappointment but it was a disappointment nonetheless, especially after a stunning first hour or so that simply was not maintained. And, once again, as is so often the case with thrillers such as this, the ending was a huge letdown, though I won't spoil it for any readers waiting to see the film.

The story centres on Dr Alex Beck, whose wife is killed (or so it appears) on a visit to a picturesque lake. Years later, he receives an email with some cctv footage that seems to show his wife is still alive. A cat and mouse game then begins, involving the police, some shadowy figures, Beck, and some Parisian gangster-thugs. The tension is heightened by the fact that Beck becomes (again) the prime suspect in his wife's case.

It sounds like a good premise and it is. It's just a shame that the final result is a little convoluted, confusing and, ultimately, over-indulgent. The first hour or so is incredibly gripping, approaching A+ material, but the ending hugely lets it down.

The performances are sound. Francois Cluzet is good as Beck, Marie-Jose Croze effective as his wife and Philippe Lefebvre makes a good detective. The star of the show, however, is Gilles Lellouche, as Bruno, a Parisien thug who owes Beck a favour and repays it in style. Truth be told, Lellouche is the only one worthy of a nomination for year-ending lists, but it's a good, effective, performance and the character, though not on screen a great deal, has more depth to him than the other somewhat one-dimensional players. Still, a solid, if unspectacular, cast.

This is by no means a bad film and it's certainly not a case of (excuse the pun) tell no one but neither is it recommendation quality. interesting, brilliant in parts, but ultimately flawed.

B-