La Tourneuse de Pages (Turning Pages)

Film

First published on 29 Sep 2009. Updated on 8 Oct 2009.

Denis Dercourt’s stylish, subtle and highly assured film is a pleasingly suspenseful psychological drama in the style of Hitchcock or early Chabrol. François plays Mélanie, the small-town butcher’s daughter whose ambitions as a pianist were dashed during a childhood audition for the Conservatory when one of the jurors, concert pianist Ariane Fouchécourt (Frot), distracted her by signing an autograph. A decade after this unwitting but fateful slight, shy, quiet Mélanie happens to find herself working as an intern for the law firm owned by Fouchécourt’s husband Jean (Greggory). Her diligence and dependability lead him to hire her as a governess to his son, and soon enough she’s firmly ensconced in their home and helping out as Ariane’s page-turner as the pianist prepares for a big comeback concert. Is Mélanie plotting revenge? Nursing a crush? And if so, on whom? Or is she merely hoping to bask in some reflected glory? (Geoff Andrew)

La Tourneuse de Pages trailer (YouTube)