Film Review: Tell No One

Tell No One
8.8 of 10
Director: Guillaume Canet
Starring: Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze





One thing I like about foreign and indie films is that they have little to no marketing campaign. Which means no trailers and previews to ruin the plot for you. That's why I was so surprised when I saw Tell No One, a French film which was recommended by Netflix based on the movies I love. What I thought was going to be a love story turned out to be one of the best mystery/thriller film I have ever seen.

Tell No One opens up showing a group friends, gathered around an outdoor table and drinking, catching up with each others lives. Then it's followed by a scene of two couples, the protagonist Alex Beck (Francois Cluzet) and his wife Margot (Marie-Josee Croze), in a tree -where they had carved their initials during their childhood- beside a lake. Just when I thought the movie was going cheesy, tragedy ensues at the lake when Margot cries out for help in the dark while Alex, running to her rescue, was knocked out cold by an unknown assailant.

Eight years after the incident at the lake, and the death of Margot, a bat with Alex's blood was dug up at the site near the lake along with two dead bodies. Alex then became a primary suspect of the murders, and the murder of his wife. But, mysteriously, Alex receives a letter from his wife saying that she's alive and to tell no one about it. From there, the story goes downward spiral -but in a good way- as Alex, a white collar worker, runs from the law and associates himself with gangsters in order prove himself guilty and to uncover the truth behind his wife's death or disappearance.

Like I said earlier, this is probably one of the best mystery films I've seen. I especially like the conspiracy working in the story because it's not big, it's not "Illuminati" in its magnitude. It's a believable plot of how a Father would sacrifice everything in order to keep, or avenge, his child. The only thing I didn't like about the movie was that Marie-Josee Croze didn't have enough face time. She's a very captivating actress and I wish that she had a longer role on the film. But other than that, this is a magnificent movie.

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