Many have said that Denis Dercourt's fifth and latest opus had the true flavor of a good old vintage Chabrol and I will not personally deny it. Indeed, following the master's example, Dercourt proves able to destroy a well-built structure from within (as a matter of fact, the main character, Ariane, will lose everything in the deadly game: luxurious house, loving husband, fortune and renown). Like Chabrol as well, the director is very good at dealing with meaningful silences (Mélanie, the most active of all the characters paradoxically does not say nor move much). In addition he also succeeds in building a tense atmosphere without resorting too much to action. As for Mélanie, Claude Chabrol must have loved her, unbalanced as she is. To crown it all, isn't Mélanie's father's job (a butcher) homage paid to "Le Boucher", one of his masterpieces? Of course in this case it is not the butcher who is the monster but as the basic principle of the film is inversion (the victim turns into executioner and vice versa), it could very well make sense.
Whatever, "La Tourneuse de Pages" is signed Dercourt, not Chabrol. First things first, unlike in a Chabrol noir movie, there is no harsh criticism of French bourgeoisie. The Rachécourts are decent people and, if Ariane proved a little offhand during Mélanie's audition, she does not deserve the horrible treatment her former victim inflicts on her. Secondly, Denis Dercourt is an expert in a field which is not particularly Chabrol's one: the world of classical music. Not only is he a professional viola player but he is a teacher at the Strasbourg Conservatory as well. All of his five films except one ("Lise et André") are about classical music and musicians. And naturally, even though "La Tourneuse de Pages" is basically a psychological thriller (a new genre for Dercourt), music and musicians were bound to be an integral part of it. Five important characters are indeed connected with the world of music: on the one hand, Ariane, a great pianist who feels insecure after a serious accident; Laurent and Virginie, the two other musicians of Ariane's trio; Tristan Fouchécourt, Ariane's young son, who is learning the piano; on the other hand, Mélanie, the girl who has been excluded from it and who can't bear it. These five are confronted with its beauties (they have -or could have had Bach, Chostakovich, etc. at the end of their fingers) and its dark side (no weak point allowed, permanent tension, the threat of tendinitis, etc.) All these issues, specific to Dercourt, are addressed seriously, enhancing the interest of the story, but the scriptwriter-director is very careful not to dwell on them, always privileging the story and the characters. As a result, all the elements blend well and the film can please everybody, whether or not introduced to the environment of classical music.
For "La Tourneuse de Pages" is first and foremost a psychological thriller and an effective one. The strength of the plot lies mainly in its simplicity. By simply reversing the initial situation (the weak one has become dangerous), Dercourt unsettles the audience that fears the worst for Ariane, even if things seem to go smoothly. From this premise, he builds the frightening atmosphere patiently, proceeding step by step, slowly but surely. He is never explicit about what the "heroine" does but lets the spectator find out about her actions four or five scenes later. The two or three climaxes are made all the more striking through this restrained style.
The two lead actresses are excellent. Catherine Frot is impressive as always: just look at the fingers on the keyboard, they are hers; incredible! And the way she expresses her feeling of insecurity rings so true that you feel like taking her in your arms and comforting her. A brilliant performance. Face to her, Deborah François doesn't get the least flustered. The young Belgian actress has managed to refrain her natural spontaneity. Behaving like a serious-minded child, her youthful beauty conceals the ugliness of a ruthless monster. A devil in disguise.
Recommended.
Whatever, "La Tourneuse de Pages" is signed Dercourt, not Chabrol. First things first, unlike in a Chabrol noir movie, there is no harsh criticism of French bourgeoisie. The Rachécourts are decent people and, if Ariane proved a little offhand during Mélanie's audition, she does not deserve the horrible treatment her former victim inflicts on her. Secondly, Denis Dercourt is an expert in a field which is not particularly Chabrol's one: the world of classical music. Not only is he a professional viola player but he is a teacher at the Strasbourg Conservatory as well. All of his five films except one ("Lise et André") are about classical music and musicians. And naturally, even though "La Tourneuse de Pages" is basically a psychological thriller (a new genre for Dercourt), music and musicians were bound to be an integral part of it. Five important characters are indeed connected with the world of music: on the one hand, Ariane, a great pianist who feels insecure after a serious accident; Laurent and Virginie, the two other musicians of Ariane's trio; Tristan Fouchécourt, Ariane's young son, who is learning the piano; on the other hand, Mélanie, the girl who has been excluded from it and who can't bear it. These five are confronted with its beauties (they have -or could have had Bach, Chostakovich, etc. at the end of their fingers) and its dark side (no weak point allowed, permanent tension, the threat of tendinitis, etc.) All these issues, specific to Dercourt, are addressed seriously, enhancing the interest of the story, but the scriptwriter-director is very careful not to dwell on them, always privileging the story and the characters. As a result, all the elements blend well and the film can please everybody, whether or not introduced to the environment of classical music.
For "La Tourneuse de Pages" is first and foremost a psychological thriller and an effective one. The strength of the plot lies mainly in its simplicity. By simply reversing the initial situation (the weak one has become dangerous), Dercourt unsettles the audience that fears the worst for Ariane, even if things seem to go smoothly. From this premise, he builds the frightening atmosphere patiently, proceeding step by step, slowly but surely. He is never explicit about what the "heroine" does but lets the spectator find out about her actions four or five scenes later. The two or three climaxes are made all the more striking through this restrained style.
The two lead actresses are excellent. Catherine Frot is impressive as always: just look at the fingers on the keyboard, they are hers; incredible! And the way she expresses her feeling of insecurity rings so true that you feel like taking her in your arms and comforting her. A brilliant performance. Face to her, Deborah François doesn't get the least flustered. The young Belgian actress has managed to refrain her natural spontaneity. Behaving like a serious-minded child, her youthful beauty conceals the ugliness of a ruthless monster. A devil in disguise.
Recommended.