There is something about French cinema that is decidedly distinct . It has its own pace , style and ambience and in the case
of Dennis Dercourt's
Page Turner , it is an enigmatic suspense thriller almost Hitchcockian , as it develpos deep into hidden recesses of the mind to bring out cold-blooded horror in the most blase circumstances.
Melanie (Deborah
Francois) is a butcher's daughter whose ambition was to become a concert pianist but this dream crumbles when during her audition at the conservatoery she is distracted by one of the judges signing an autograpgh. Cut to ten years, Melanie now an attractive young woman gets a job with a lawyer Jean Fouchecourt (Pascoal Gregory) and is soon enseconded in the family as she volunteers to be governess to his soon Tristan. It so happens that the lawyer's wife Ariane ((Catherine Frot) is a pianist who has met with an automobile accident and wants to stage a comeback but she needs a page turner.
Guess what , Melanie offers her services. What is Melanie's intent? Does she want to shine in reflected glory since she could then be near her on-time ambition - a concert pianist ? Does she have a crush on Ariane because as the film progresses , there are hints of sexuality? There's a violinist and a collist with whom Ariane rehearses. But Ariane depends greatly upon Melanie's support. Dercourt's screenplay is rich in imagination and admirably ambiguous. It has loads of narrative tension and eons of psychological resonance. Whats more , it flits from character to character like a butterfly roaming from flower to flower, creating red herrings and large grey areas ripe with expectation. Melanie is a girl possessed. What is her game? It must be pivotal or else the title would not hog the title of the film. But she also happens to enjoy her assignment. GFor dramatic relief, Melanie and little Tristan spend time in their private pool and then suddenly, inexplicably Melanie is not at her post on concert night. Ariane is shattered, But goes on with the show. Worse is to follow. That music plays a major role is not surprising and "tickling the ivories" is constantly in the air with sound buildings to a crescendo at key moments, yet numbing silence to others.
Cinematographer Jerome Peyrebrune himself launches on a Sonata of lush outdoors but he continues to maintain the tempo even through the intricate interiors. The action draws to its inevitable climax without as much a hint of the impending tragedy. It hits you like a bolt. Deborah Francois in only her second role is brilliant. Enigmatic at times,sweetly innocent at others, she is natural and holds the film together. She is ably supported by Catherine Frot who unexpectedly is given top billing. Good cameos by Xavier de Guillebon as cellist and Clotilde Mollet enhance this shocking , chilling, thought provoking psychological drama. Dont miss it!