Tell No One (2006/MPI Blu-ray)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B-     Extras: C+     Film: B-

 

 

Thrillers have been bad lately, but when one tries to get it right, it either works, still fails or if it is the French thriller Tell No One (aka Ne le dis a personnne/2006) becomes such a wacky, unintentionally funny mess that you have to see it to believe it.  That the film turned out so badly, that it just cannot help being wacky and that some critics raved so much about it despite how bad it really was.  Though not a camp classic, it is a guide on how not to make a thriller, but at least tries to be one that has the audience in mind.

 

With the cases I Spit On Your Grave-like cover, Francois Cluzet plays a married man who goes swimming with is wife at night.  They have fun, are alone, then she goes ahead of him and seems to be abducted.  When he goes to investigate, he is knocked out and dumped in the water, eight years later, she is dead and he still does not know what happened when he gets an e-mail.  It seems to be from his dead wife and ends with a note that is the title of this film.  From there, he investigates what has really happened and things become more twisted as he goes along.

 

Unfortunately, the mystery is too predictable and obvious, yet that does not stop Director/Writer (from the Harlan Coben novel and co-star) Guillaume Canet from moving the film along as if it actually worked.  No references to Grave are included, but Canet had just concentrated instead of getting carried away, this could have been a classic instead of a series of gimmicks.  The actors help save the film too, but cannot make it a better film.  Still, if you like thrillers, you should see this just once to see what I mean.  Kristin Scott Thomas also stars.

 

The 1080p 2.35 X 1 @ 38 MBPS digital High Definition image was shot in Super 35mm and has some soft edges, though you have to wonder if some images were digitally manipulated.  Still, this has its moments and is not bad, but there are no major demo shots either.  The Dolby Digital French 5.1 @ 640 KBPS mix is not bad either, but still on the weak side and a disappointment considering what an old codec this is.  Why MPI does not have PCM, DTS-HD or Dolby True HD 5.1 on here is odd, though there is PCM 2.0 Stereo @ 1536 KPBS that is somewhat weaker and Dolby Digital English 2.0 Stereo at 192 KBPS that is especially weak.  Too bad, because the soundmaster is an interesting mix.  Extras include Tell No One: The B-Side making-of featurette, outtakes and deleted scenes.

 

The film is now being remade, which should be interesti9ng and likely not as good, so see this before that happens if you can.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo