Most of this story takes place in an office but the conversations that are going on during the films length provide more than enough information for viewers to get a good understanding of what these characters lives are really like. Story is about a woman named Anna Delambre (Sandrine Bonnaire) who goes to see a psychiatrist but makes a wrong turn and ends up in the wrong office spilling her guts about her crumbling marriage. William Faber (Fabrice Luchini) runs an accounting business but as Anna keeps talking he doesn't mention that she's in the wrong place and after she is finished she mentions that she will be back next week at the same time. Anna keeps showing up until finally she figures out who he is and at first she's angry but shows up later and tells him that she wants to continue their sessions.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Anna slowly tells William about her husband Marc (Gilbert Melki) and that she accidentally hit him with the car and crippling him and that he wants her to make love to other men. William gets advice from Dr. Monnier (Michel Duchaussoy) who is the real psychiatrist down the hall and gets charged for his visits but he also gets advice from his ex-wife Jeanne (Anne Brochet) who has rekindled her affection for him but William seems to get more out of talking with Anna than she does.
This film is directed by Patrice Leconte who is steadily becoming one of the more important directors in Europe and like his previous efforts his stories usually revolve around characters that are impressed by the lives of others or men that become fascinated by certain women and "The Hairdresser's Husband" is the perfect example. Bonnaire's character of Anna is the most mysterious and even when the film is over your not sure if everything she had to say is accurate which is why Luchini would be drawn to her. The script allows both Bonnaire and Luchini to develop an intense relationship without actually ever getting physical but the way these characters stare at one another says volumes in the way they really feel about each other. While this quiet film doesn't have the overpowering message of other Leconte stories such as "Ridicule" it still has a uniqueness in it's own intimate storytelling.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Anna slowly tells William about her husband Marc (Gilbert Melki) and that she accidentally hit him with the car and crippling him and that he wants her to make love to other men. William gets advice from Dr. Monnier (Michel Duchaussoy) who is the real psychiatrist down the hall and gets charged for his visits but he also gets advice from his ex-wife Jeanne (Anne Brochet) who has rekindled her affection for him but William seems to get more out of talking with Anna than she does.
This film is directed by Patrice Leconte who is steadily becoming one of the more important directors in Europe and like his previous efforts his stories usually revolve around characters that are impressed by the lives of others or men that become fascinated by certain women and "The Hairdresser's Husband" is the perfect example. Bonnaire's character of Anna is the most mysterious and even when the film is over your not sure if everything she had to say is accurate which is why Luchini would be drawn to her. The script allows both Bonnaire and Luchini to develop an intense relationship without actually ever getting physical but the way these characters stare at one another says volumes in the way they really feel about each other. While this quiet film doesn't have the overpowering message of other Leconte stories such as "Ridicule" it still has a uniqueness in it's own intimate storytelling.