Audience Member
I'm a little torn about the rating, I was ready to give 3.5 based on the in-the-moment experience, but some facets don't add up for me afterwards. Which side of a film has the greater effect, the immediate impact or the following deconstruction? That's always a good argument for discussion. 3 stars is still a positive review on my scale, and the movie is certainly better than the average user score indicates.
A cop (Christophe Lambert) traumatized by the death of his wife returns to the force perhaps before he's ready, as his concerned peers talk about his seeing ghosts of her. On that first day back, he is visited by a mysterious woman who seems to know him and instructs him to visit a certain room in a fancy hotel. There he learns about the disappearance of the hotel owner and discovers the secret Room 401 adorned with photos and memorabilia of the woman he met - an actress named Victoria who died in 1970. Is she real or another figment of his troubled mind? That is the springboard for this mystery which starts cautiously but then really picks up the pace. 2nd-time director Sophie Marceau effectively disorients the viewer in certain instances by using abrupt editing techniques and camera motions so that our confusion mirrors Lambert's when his focus gets scattered. She throws in a great car chase and occasional doses of humor, particularly with a female officer named Fred who antagonizes her partner every time she eats food in the cruiser. I've only seen Lambert in his stonefaced English roles so I was pleasantly surprised at his ability to carry this movie. Marceau also devised the story, co-wrote the screenplay, and plays the part of the furtive femme fatale, so there must have been some bigtime wish fulfillment going on with the dozens of glamour photographs used as scenery dressing that she got to pose for adorned in styles from the 1960s. In hindsight the motivations seem murky and not wholly convincing, but at least during the screening you blissfully won't have time to think too much about them.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/23/23
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Audience Member
Good direction by Marceau, but the story is rather lackluster.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
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Audience Member
Dodjavola, meni ovaj film uopste nije bio los. Prica je prilicno konfuzna i, uprkos tome, ne pretjerano zanimljiva, ali film iz blata vade dosta zanimljivi likovi i njihovo blesavo ponasanje. Dominira, da ne povjerujete, Kristofer Lamber, koji je cak odlican u ulozi propalog pajkana. Znam da ga mnogi smatraju najgorim glumcem na svijetu, medjutim ovde pokazuje da mu gluma na maternjem francuskom mnogo bolje lezi nego na engleskom (Arni, reaguj!).
Uglavnom, ovde se radi o nekoj misterioznoj zeni koja ima istu facu kao neka glumica koja je odapela prije 36 godina, a tu zenu je Kristofer Lamber upoznao u ludnici, a tu je i neki lik koji je nestao i mrtav je, ali zapravo nije mrtav nego je nekog ubio, e pa on sa sobom vucara tu zenu koja lici na tu glumicu, a prije 36 godina je bio u vezi s tom glumicom, ali onda ju je ubio zajedno sa njenim djetetom, s tim da u pitanju nije jedno vec dvoje djece i jedno od te djece se izvuklo i izraslo u mladu zenu koja se sad muva s Kristoferom Lamberom. Ili tako nesto.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/16/23
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Audience Member
In âLa disparue de Deauvilleâ, Sophie Marceau made a brave attempt to create a thriller in the style of a Wallander episode, based on her own script and direction. It is the sort of scenario that looks very intriguing and promising on paper, but turns out to be difficult to execute in such a way it can retain its quality on the screen, not in the last place because the director is only a beginner. This movie shows how difficult it can be to make a good film, for the result is rather disappointing. Part of the problem is the exaggerated intricacy of the plot (making it simpler would probably have improved it) plus some logicality issues and, perhaps most important of all, timing mistakes in the revelation of crucial info. The theme of secrets and obsessions related to the past, plus a faked death in the present, all to be solved by an eccentric inspector is very well invented. Itâs the sort of script you would have wanted to dream up yourself. Unfortunately it is too far-fetched to be realistic. Antoine Bérangèreâs (Robert Hossein â yet again playing a young women fancier [I wonder how they got that idea ;-)] and insufferable pater familias in the northwest of France, like he did a year earlier in âPetits meurtres en familleâ) obsession is imaginable, but his intended scheme is in no way manageable. As far as logic is concerned, I had some problems in particular with the attitudes of the women involved. Both Mélanie Bérangère (Marie-Christine Barrault) and Lucie (Sophie Marceau) appear far too strong to be manipulated by an obsessed elderly man like Antoine. Would a woman like Mélanie let him get away with murder just to please him? And would someone like Lucie, who can put up the aloof act and has the courage to approach Jacques (Christopher Lambert) for help not just tell things like they are instead of being mysterious (or kill the old man, for that matter)? Why does Lucie run away from Jacques once sheâs made the first step? And why does Jacques let her get away in that shopping mall once heâs finally reached her, telling his colleagues later she is in danger and should be saved? How can Jacques guess whatâs going on anyway, with Antoineâs faked death? Sure he gets DVDs in the mail, but they only show a girl being filmed and (probably) sexually abused. Is he psychic enough to guess this is all about Antoine trying to âtransformâ her into his old love? In the same way it is hard to believe the son of the Bérangère family (Nicolas Briançon) suddenly trusts Jacques and relies on his detection skills. Why would he do that? It helps the story along and makes it more intriguing, but less plausible at the same time. The mysterious accomplice nanny called Evelyne is totally superfluous. To avoid further confusion she had better been left out of the script. I would also like to remark that this script makes good sense in hindsight, but confuses the viewer who watches it for the first time, because certain clues are not dropped clearly enough at the right time. Once we know more about Jacquesâ background and personal problems, his erratic behaviour and interest in this case make sense. Not knowing about this in time, however, leads to annoyance on the part of the viewer. It is usually better to lift oneâs corners of the veil at a sooner stage to put the audience in the picture. In a sense itâs analogous to reading a poorly written manual by someone who knows everything about the contraption in question, but forgot his readers donât. I could go on pinpointing tiny problems like this for ages, but I realize it wouldnât make sense. The bottom line is that this film must have looked very promising in blueprint (and will have persuaded many of the actors to participate â they all did excellently, by the way), but turned out to be awkward to realize satisfactorily on the screen. I think Sophie Marceau has the makings of a good script writer and possibly a good director, but she still has a lot to learn. For a beginner, she has aimed too highly.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Surprisingly impressive movie. It was a French movie, but you could see alot of American nuances. The former cop reminded me of a French Nick Nolte. Sophie Marceau did a great job co-writing, directing, and acting in this film. Storyline was hard to follow at times, but intriguing. Couple of comical points. Overall good flick. I like the ending with an actual ending, unlike alot of foreign films-- but once again, that was one of the more American aspects of the film.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/23/23
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