This is basically a two character movie. It feels a bit theatrical in that it takes place in one set, with only a few scenes outside of the office where the two main characters meet.
Spoilers herein.
Patrice Leconte has created a film that strikes us as a mystery. The screen play by Jerome Tonerre is witty, sophisticated and light. It's easy to see how the writer and the director conspired to bring these two different persons to meet and share their intimate confidences with us, who are hypnotized by the proceedings.
Anna, has an attention disorder and gets easily confused with the directions the building porter gives her as to where to go. Instead she enters the office of William, who is not the person she is supposed to meet, at all.
William is a man who is bored with his lot in life. When Anna comes into his office, he awakes from his loneliness. We can't even imagine what he and his former wife, Jeanne, had in common. He is a loner who feels right at home listening to his old records (he still hasn't discovered CDs). At one point we see a scene in which William is listening to a popular dance song and he breaks into his own interpretation of it in front of a mirror; he shows that deep down inside of him, there's a man that is alive.
At one point in the film William goes to see his neighbor, the real analyst, that Anna has confused him with, trying to make sense on what is going on. Is he being analyzed by Dr. Monnier? Mr. Leconte is constantly sending us in different directions; he wants us to look at different aspects of the situation and perhaps wants to confuse us along the way.
Anna talks to William about the things in her mind. She lies when she tells him about the 'accident' she had caused to her husband, when in reality nothing like that ever happened. Marc turns out to be a young man who senses he is losing Anna to William. He stages the reunion with Anna in the hotel across the street from William to show him he is really alive and can perform well in bed!
Sandrine Bonnaire as Anna, has never been used as effectively as she is in this movie. She is an actress that is difficult to place, but once she takes on a role, she is that person. Fabrice Luchini has worked with M. Leconte before. He has a face that blends in with all his characters. As William, he achieves perfection in this film.
Spoilers herein.
Patrice Leconte has created a film that strikes us as a mystery. The screen play by Jerome Tonerre is witty, sophisticated and light. It's easy to see how the writer and the director conspired to bring these two different persons to meet and share their intimate confidences with us, who are hypnotized by the proceedings.
Anna, has an attention disorder and gets easily confused with the directions the building porter gives her as to where to go. Instead she enters the office of William, who is not the person she is supposed to meet, at all.
William is a man who is bored with his lot in life. When Anna comes into his office, he awakes from his loneliness. We can't even imagine what he and his former wife, Jeanne, had in common. He is a loner who feels right at home listening to his old records (he still hasn't discovered CDs). At one point we see a scene in which William is listening to a popular dance song and he breaks into his own interpretation of it in front of a mirror; he shows that deep down inside of him, there's a man that is alive.
At one point in the film William goes to see his neighbor, the real analyst, that Anna has confused him with, trying to make sense on what is going on. Is he being analyzed by Dr. Monnier? Mr. Leconte is constantly sending us in different directions; he wants us to look at different aspects of the situation and perhaps wants to confuse us along the way.
Anna talks to William about the things in her mind. She lies when she tells him about the 'accident' she had caused to her husband, when in reality nothing like that ever happened. Marc turns out to be a young man who senses he is losing Anna to William. He stages the reunion with Anna in the hotel across the street from William to show him he is really alive and can perform well in bed!
Sandrine Bonnaire as Anna, has never been used as effectively as she is in this movie. She is an actress that is difficult to place, but once she takes on a role, she is that person. Fabrice Luchini has worked with M. Leconte before. He has a face that blends in with all his characters. As William, he achieves perfection in this film.