Entre ses mains

Saw this French film Sunday night Sept. 11 with Director Anne Fontaine, lead actress Anne Carré and producer Philippe Carcassonne in the house. Piers said this was a thriller in the style of Claude Chabrol. He means French New Wave Director Claude Chabrol who did the thriller "La Femme Infidèle" in 1968, which was the basis for the American remake Unfaithful with Diane Lane and Richard Gere. Just like that film bugged me, so did Entre ses mains. The title means "In his hands" which is stupid because it was all about a female insurance adjuster who gets increasingly involved with her client, a vet. Meanwhile we keep hearing reports about Dr. Death, the serial murderer loose in town. The vet (who is already creepy looking and keeps visiting her at work) is an obvious suspect, especially when he makes comments like: "they say he uses a scalpel, much like this one" while he's suturing a sedated lionness. Anne even brings her daughter to visit this guy at the zoo where he also works. Even his mother is scary looking. Meanwhile Anne has a beautiful daughter and loving husband at home. But she keeps going out to meet this guy, just like those crazy people in movies who run back into the burning building or head straight for the basement when they're cornered by an axe murderer. Stuff like this really pisses me off. So really, Entre ses mains was not "in his hands" at all - all Anne's (lead and director) had options which they ignored. And they set the film in Lille, possibly the least romantic city in France, especially during the winter when this film was shot. I give this frustrating piece MM, which is generous. Don't see this unless you a) like watching smart women make foolish choices or b) have a couple of extra hours in your life to burn.