Tell No One
Encyclopedia
Tell No One is a 2006 French thriller film directed by Guillaume Canet
and based on the novel of the same name
by Harlan Coben
. It was written by Guillame Canet and Philippe Lefèbvre and stars François Cluzet
. Miramax and Focus have bought the rights for an English language remake
, which will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy and has a tentative date of 2011
for the beginning of principal photography
. It won four categories at the 2007 César Awards in France: Best Director (Guillaume Canet
), Best Actor (François Cluzet
), Best Editing and Best Music Written for a Film.
) is a doctor who has slowly been putting his life back together after his wife Margot (Marie-Josée Croze
) was murdered by a serial killer. Eight years on, Alex is doing well, until he finds himself implicated in a double homicide, which has plenty of evidence pointing to him as the killer - though he knows nothing of the crimes. The same day, Alex receives an e-mail that appears to be from Margot, which includes a link to a surveillance video clip that features his late wife looking alive and well. The message warns Alex that they are both being watched. He struggles to stay one step ahead of the law , while a gang of henchmen intimidate Alex's friends into telling them whatever they might know about him - the henchmen eventually kill one of them, Charlotte. In the meantime, Alex's sister Anne (Marina Hands
) persuades her well-off wife Hélène (Kristin Scott Thomas
) to hire a respected attorney, Élisabeth Feldman (Nathalie Baye
), to handle Alex's case.
It is gradually revealed that Margot is apparently still alive. She attempts to arrange a meeting with Alex by sending him an email which he must read in an internet cafe to avoid being spied on. Before this meeting, a warrant is issued for Alex's arrest for the murder of Charlotte. He goes on the run whilst his friends and lawyers struggle to find out the truth about the murder, as well as Margot's reappearance. Alex, chased by policemen, is rescued by Bruno (Gilles Lellouche
), a gangster from a rough part of the city who feels he owes Alex a favour. The mysterious henchmen reappear to prevent Alex's meeting with his late wife, but he is rescued once again by Bruno. Margot is seen almost escaping on a flight to Buenos Aires
. Elizabeth, the lawyer, proves that Alex has an alibi for the murder of Charlotte, thanks to eyewitness accounts at the internet cafe.
Alex noted the numerous mysteries about his wife's death - mysterious photos of her covered in bruises and traces of heroin in her body. He soon discovers the truth that Margot's father (André Dussolier) faked his daughter's death.
Margot had discovered that Philippe Neuville (Guillaume Canet
), a rich young son of a local millionaire (Jean Rochefort
), was a pedophile rapist whose activities were being hidden because his father had influence over the police; when she confronted him, Philippe beat her up, causing the bruises. Her father explains that he walked in on the beating and shot Philippe. He then hired thugs to fake Margot's murder, shot them, and used the body of a dead heroin addict to stand in for Margot's. Police, listening in on the father's confession, attempt to arrest him. However, Margot's father shoots himself dead.
In a final twist, it is then revealed that Margot's father knew Alex was wearing a wire, and that during a moment in which he had blocked the bug's transmission he had told Alex one last thing: it was in fact Margot who shot Philippe after he beat her; her father was covering up her crime, not his. His actions however have ensured that she will never be suspected. The film's final sequence shows Philippe's father being arrested, and Alex and Margot reuniting at the lake where they fell in love as children.
Academy Award winning British actor Sir Michael Caine
said of the film it was the best he had seen in 2007 on the BBC
's Film 2007 programme. He also included it among his Top Ten movies of all time in his 2010 autobiography, The Elephant to Hollywood.
The script made several alterations to the book. A torture expert changed from an Asian male to a white female, and the identity of the killer was switched. The book's author was quoted in an interview that the movie's ending was better than his original ending.
, As well as a score of 82 on Metacritic
, signaling "universal acclaim".
Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet is a French actor and film director.Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like Joyeux Noël, Love Me If You Dare and The Beach...
and based on the novel of the same name
Tell No One (novel)
Tell No One is a thriller novel by American writer Harlan Coben, published in 2001.The book was Coben's first novel to appear on The New York Times Best Seller list. It was also adapted into a French film with the same title in 2006 ....
by Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben is an American author of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past and often have multiple plot twists...
. It was written by Guillame Canet and Philippe Lefèbvre and stars François Cluzet
François Cluzet
François Cluzet is a French film and theatre actor, best known in the English-speaking world for starring in the 2006 French film "Tell No One", based on the novel of the same name by the American author Harlan Coben...
. Miramax and Focus have bought the rights for an English language remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
, which will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy and has a tentative date of 2011
2011 in film
The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :...
for the beginning of principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
. It won four categories at the 2007 César Awards in France: Best Director (Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet is a French actor and film director.Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like Joyeux Noël, Love Me If You Dare and The Beach...
), Best Actor (François Cluzet
François Cluzet
François Cluzet is a French film and theatre actor, best known in the English-speaking world for starring in the 2006 French film "Tell No One", based on the novel of the same name by the American author Harlan Coben...
), Best Editing and Best Music Written for a Film.
Plot
Alexandre Beck (François CluzetFrançois Cluzet
François Cluzet is a French film and theatre actor, best known in the English-speaking world for starring in the 2006 French film "Tell No One", based on the novel of the same name by the American author Harlan Coben...
) is a doctor who has slowly been putting his life back together after his wife Margot (Marie-Josée Croze
Marie-Josée Croze
-Career:Croze was born in Montreal, QC. She won the award for Best Actress at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in The Barbarian Invasions. She was cast by prominent Hollywood director Steven Spielberg for his film Munich which was released in December 2005...
) was murdered by a serial killer. Eight years on, Alex is doing well, until he finds himself implicated in a double homicide, which has plenty of evidence pointing to him as the killer - though he knows nothing of the crimes. The same day, Alex receives an e-mail that appears to be from Margot, which includes a link to a surveillance video clip that features his late wife looking alive and well. The message warns Alex that they are both being watched. He struggles to stay one step ahead of the law , while a gang of henchmen intimidate Alex's friends into telling them whatever they might know about him - the henchmen eventually kill one of them, Charlotte. In the meantime, Alex's sister Anne (Marina Hands
Marina Hands
- Biography :Hands is the daughter of British director Terry Hands and French actress Ludmila Mikaël, and the granddaughter of painter Pierre Dmitrienko. She studied acting at the Cours Florent and the CNSAD in France, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England...
) persuades her well-off wife Hélène (Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient....
) to hire a respected attorney, Élisabeth Feldman (Nathalie Baye
Nathalie Baye
Nathalie Marie Andrée Baye is a French film, television, and stage actress. After having dance and dramatic education, Baye began acting in 1970. She has appeared in more than 70 films. She won four César Awards for Sauve qui peut , Une étrange affaire , La Balance , and Le Petit Lieutenant...
), to handle Alex's case.
It is gradually revealed that Margot is apparently still alive. She attempts to arrange a meeting with Alex by sending him an email which he must read in an internet cafe to avoid being spied on. Before this meeting, a warrant is issued for Alex's arrest for the murder of Charlotte. He goes on the run whilst his friends and lawyers struggle to find out the truth about the murder, as well as Margot's reappearance. Alex, chased by policemen, is rescued by Bruno (Gilles Lellouche
Gilles Lellouche
Gilles Lellouche is a French actor. He started his career as a director before changing to acting. Lellouche has appeared in more than thirty films since 1995. He was nominated twice for a César Award...
), a gangster from a rough part of the city who feels he owes Alex a favour. The mysterious henchmen reappear to prevent Alex's meeting with his late wife, but he is rescued once again by Bruno. Margot is seen almost escaping on a flight to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. Elizabeth, the lawyer, proves that Alex has an alibi for the murder of Charlotte, thanks to eyewitness accounts at the internet cafe.
Alex noted the numerous mysteries about his wife's death - mysterious photos of her covered in bruises and traces of heroin in her body. He soon discovers the truth that Margot's father (André Dussolier) faked his daughter's death.
Margot had discovered that Philippe Neuville (Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet
Guillaume Canet is a French actor and film director.Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like Joyeux Noël, Love Me If You Dare and The Beach...
), a rich young son of a local millionaire (Jean Rochefort
Jean Rochefort
Jean Rochefort is a French actor, with a career that has spanned over five decades.Rochefort was born in Paris, France. He was educated at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen He was 19 years old when he entered the Centre d'Art Dramatique de la rue Blanche. Later he joined the Conservatoire National...
), was a pedophile rapist whose activities were being hidden because his father had influence over the police; when she confronted him, Philippe beat her up, causing the bruises. Her father explains that he walked in on the beating and shot Philippe. He then hired thugs to fake Margot's murder, shot them, and used the body of a dead heroin addict to stand in for Margot's. Police, listening in on the father's confession, attempt to arrest him. However, Margot's father shoots himself dead.
In a final twist, it is then revealed that Margot's father knew Alex was wearing a wire, and that during a moment in which he had blocked the bug's transmission he had told Alex one last thing: it was in fact Margot who shot Philippe after he beat her; her father was covering up her crime, not his. His actions however have ensured that she will never be suspected. The film's final sequence shows Philippe's father being arrested, and Alex and Margot reuniting at the lake where they fell in love as children.
Cast
- François CluzetFrançois CluzetFrançois Cluzet is a French film and theatre actor, best known in the English-speaking world for starring in the 2006 French film "Tell No One", based on the novel of the same name by the American author Harlan Coben...
- Alexandre Beck - Marie-Josée CrozeMarie-Josée Croze-Career:Croze was born in Montreal, QC. She won the award for Best Actress at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in The Barbarian Invasions. She was cast by prominent Hollywood director Steven Spielberg for his film Munich which was released in December 2005...
- Margot Beck - André DussollierAndré DussollierAndré Dussollier is a French actor.-Filmography:* 1970 : Ils, directed by Jean-Daniel Simon* 1972 : Les Chemins de pierre, directed by Joseph Drimal...
- Jacques Laurentin - Kristin Scott ThomasKristin Scott ThomasKristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient....
- Hélène Perkins - François BerléandFrançois BerléandFrançois Berléand is a French actor.Berléand was born in Paris, France of . He plays Gilles Triquet, the officer manager and equivalent of David Brent in Le Bureau, the French version of The Office, produced by Canal+. He released a book about his childhood in 2006, Le fils de l'homme invisible...
- Eric Levkowitch - Nathalie BayeNathalie BayeNathalie Marie Andrée Baye is a French film, television, and stage actress. After having dance and dramatic education, Baye began acting in 1970. She has appeared in more than 70 films. She won four César Awards for Sauve qui peut , Une étrange affaire , La Balance , and Le Petit Lieutenant...
- Maître Elysabeth Feldman - Jean RochefortJean RochefortJean Rochefort is a French actor, with a career that has spanned over five decades.Rochefort was born in Paris, France. He was educated at the Lycée Pierre Corneille in Rouen He was 19 years old when he entered the Centre d'Art Dramatique de la rue Blanche. Later he joined the Conservatoire National...
- Gilbert Neuville - Marina HandsMarina Hands- Biography :Hands is the daughter of British director Terry Hands and French actress Ludmila Mikaël, and the granddaughter of painter Pierre Dmitrienko. She studied acting at the Cours Florent and the CNSAD in France, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England...
- Anne Beck - Gilles LelloucheGilles LelloucheGilles Lellouche is a French actor. He started his career as a director before changing to acting. Lellouche has appeared in more than thirty films since 1995. He was nominated twice for a César Award...
- Bruno - Philippe Lefebvre - Lieutenant Philippe Meynard
- Florence Thomassin - Charlotte Bertaud
- Olivier MarchalOlivier MarchalOlivier Marchal is a French actor, director, screenwriter, and a former policeman. In 2005, he was nominated for three César Awards , for his film 36 Quai des Orfèvres....
- Bernard Valenti - Guillaume CanetGuillaume CanetGuillaume Canet is a French actor and film director.Canet began his career in theatre and television before moving to film. He starred in several films like Joyeux Noël, Love Me If You Dare and The Beach...
- Philippe Neuville - Brigitte CatillonBrigitte Catillon-Selected filmography:- External links :...
- Captain Barthas - Samir Guesmi - Lieutenant Saraoui
Reception
Tell No One was extremely well received both critically and commercially.Academy Award winning British actor Sir Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
said of the film it was the best he had seen in 2007 on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Film 2007 programme. He also included it among his Top Ten movies of all time in his 2010 autobiography, The Elephant to Hollywood.
The script made several alterations to the book. A torture expert changed from an Asian male to a white female, and the identity of the killer was switched. The book's author was quoted in an interview that the movie's ending was better than his original ending.
Critical reception
August 12, 2010, Tell No One has a Tomatometer "Certified Fresh" rating of 93% and a 96% rating amongst top critics on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, As well as a score of 82 on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, signaling "universal acclaim".
Top ten lists
The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008.- 1st - Marc Doyle, Metacritic.com
- 2nd - Marjorie Baumgarten, The Austin Chronicle
- 7th - Kimberly Jones, The Austin Chronicle
- 7th - Marc Mohan, The OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
- 7th - Shawn LevyShawn Anthony LevyShawn Anthony Levy is an American film critic, author and blogger.Born in New York City, and educated at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Irvine, Levy has been the film critic of The Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Oregon since 1997. He is a former Senior Editor...
, The OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850... - 8th - Stephen HoldenStephen HoldenStephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... - 9th - Kenneth TuranKenneth TuranKenneth Turan is an American film critic and Lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.-Background:...
, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country.... - 10th - Ann Hornaday, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
- 10th - Owen GleibermanOwen GleibermanOwen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
, Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...