As this tale begins, we watch a woman running away from something, or somebody we cannot see. She finally gets into a taxi and goes home. Checking her messages, she discovers there are no urgent calls, except the ones from her mother, a bit concerned for not having heard from her in a while, although she knew she was on vacation.
In flashbacks, the real story is told. Anna Cooper, a gynecologist, is seen walking home at a late hour. She is overpowered by an armed man who forces her into the trunk of his vehicle. The kidnapping is, at first, puzzling. Nothing is given away as to why the man has gone through such lengths, except one starts suspecting that whatever it is has to do with her job as a doctor.
The man, Yann Ochberg, has lived through the tragedy of losing his wife after a cesarean procedure by Anna Cooper. Now, he wants her to suffer as much as he did when he lost his wife, even though there was nothing wrong in the operation and Anna was not found guilty. Yann keeps her locked in a room where he only has access to bring her the essentials. Little by little, Anna begins to have a change of heart about the way she feels about Yann. One day, Anna finds the door to the room open, and she escapes.
While she was held captive, Anna promised Yann she would not report him to the police, but it is inevitable she makes a complain about the kidnapping and rape. Yann, in a bold move, shows up one day as though spying across the street. Anna finally entices him to her apartment and to her bed where they consummate a passion that has been dormant, perhaps in her heart and is killing her. The twist at the end, comes out of nowhere, as the viewer does not have a clue at the unexpected ending.
A film by Lola Doillon that is a retake in the classic Stockholm syndrome in which the victim, being held against her wishes, begins to develop feelings to the kidnapper. First, the name of the man that traps Anna is revealing. He is named after Dr. Frank Ochberg, the psychiatrist who first recognized the attraction that is created when two people are in such close proximity and perhaps death is imminent. Ms. Doillon who is the daughter of Jacques Doillon and is married to Cedric Klapish, shows her talent in making this mostly claustrophobic film work, by creating a suspense that keeps the viewer wondering.
The director could not have been more blessed in finding a great actress such as Kristin Scott Thomas to give life to her Anna Cooper. The joy in watching Ms. Scott Thomas in any film comes from her approach to her character. She always gives honest and convincing performances as she does here. Pio Marmai, although not in the same league as his co-star does a credible job of the man whose life is transformed because of a freak twist that never should have happened.
In flashbacks, the real story is told. Anna Cooper, a gynecologist, is seen walking home at a late hour. She is overpowered by an armed man who forces her into the trunk of his vehicle. The kidnapping is, at first, puzzling. Nothing is given away as to why the man has gone through such lengths, except one starts suspecting that whatever it is has to do with her job as a doctor.
The man, Yann Ochberg, has lived through the tragedy of losing his wife after a cesarean procedure by Anna Cooper. Now, he wants her to suffer as much as he did when he lost his wife, even though there was nothing wrong in the operation and Anna was not found guilty. Yann keeps her locked in a room where he only has access to bring her the essentials. Little by little, Anna begins to have a change of heart about the way she feels about Yann. One day, Anna finds the door to the room open, and she escapes.
While she was held captive, Anna promised Yann she would not report him to the police, but it is inevitable she makes a complain about the kidnapping and rape. Yann, in a bold move, shows up one day as though spying across the street. Anna finally entices him to her apartment and to her bed where they consummate a passion that has been dormant, perhaps in her heart and is killing her. The twist at the end, comes out of nowhere, as the viewer does not have a clue at the unexpected ending.
A film by Lola Doillon that is a retake in the classic Stockholm syndrome in which the victim, being held against her wishes, begins to develop feelings to the kidnapper. First, the name of the man that traps Anna is revealing. He is named after Dr. Frank Ochberg, the psychiatrist who first recognized the attraction that is created when two people are in such close proximity and perhaps death is imminent. Ms. Doillon who is the daughter of Jacques Doillon and is married to Cedric Klapish, shows her talent in making this mostly claustrophobic film work, by creating a suspense that keeps the viewer wondering.
The director could not have been more blessed in finding a great actress such as Kristin Scott Thomas to give life to her Anna Cooper. The joy in watching Ms. Scott Thomas in any film comes from her approach to her character. She always gives honest and convincing performances as she does here. Pio Marmai, although not in the same league as his co-star does a credible job of the man whose life is transformed because of a freak twist that never should have happened.