I’ve now seen Tell No One twice (it was just as entertaining the second time around), and I’ve become convinced that writer Harlan Coben and/or director Guillaume Canet must love Marathon Man as much as I do. One of the pinnacles of the last golden age of Hollywood (1967-1975), Marathon Man starred Dustin Hoffman as an innocent man caught up in a far-flung web of intrigue and murder, only to survive by digging deep into his well of wits and endurance running, and by employing the toughest guy in the neighborhood to assist him.
Although the plot of Tell No One has many differences, both large and small, it has much in common with that of Marathon Man. Pediatric doctor Alex (François Cluzet) believes that, out of his field of vision, his wife and soulmate Margot (Marie-Josée Croze) has been murdered. Cut to eight years later when Alex receives an email which leads him to believe that Margot is still alive (the message commands him to “Tell No One.” From here, we have the helpful lesbian lover of his sister, a millionaire’s pederast son, the violent thug who’s taken a liking to Alex, the father-in-law with a secret, the good-hearted police detective, a fantastically slam-bang chase with Alex on foot (much like Marathon Man‘s), and plot twists that will leave you agog.
The cinematography is a procession of sinuous tracking shots, which is, I guarantee, not the way the Hollywood remake will be composed. All in all, Tell No One is a highly entertaining thriller for those who are tired of those headache-inducers churned out by Hollywood. – [DVD]
Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Not Rated
DVD Release Date: 3/31/09