Elles n’oublient jamais (1994) - film review

Julien is a hard-nosed executive who works for a debt collection agency in Paris.  Whilst his wife and son are away on holiday, he is attracted to a young woman, Angela, whom he notices in a terrace café opposite his office.  After an awkward attempt to chat her up, Julien manages to get a date with her and they end up back at his place one evening.  They part on bad terms – Julien decides to stay faithful to his wife and Angela is upset.  Having returned from holiday, Julien’s wife hires an au pair for their son.  To Julien’s surprise, the au pair turns out to be Angela, who has just moved into their apartment block and who is clearly out for revenge – but why?

An uncomfortable mix of psychological thriller and black comedy, Elles n’oublient jamais is both intensely compelling and strangely entertaining, appearing like some kind of bizarre arty homage to the cheap erotic thriller.   Whilst the plot is a shameless pastiche of the suspense thriller genre, with nearly every plot development almost entirely predictable, the film manages to hold its audience’s attention, thanks to a combination of its relentlessly creepy mood and strong performances from its three lead actors.

Thierry Lhermitte is particularly noteworthy, this being one of the most significant performances for an actor who is better known for his comic roles (often in films not noted for their artistic quality).   It is through Lhermitte that the film’s black comic elements surface, giving the film a subtle sense of comic irony without ever stepping over the line into self-parody.

The film was written and directed by the writer/director Christopher Frank, who died from a heart-attack before the film was edited.  Frank scripted a number of similar off-the-wall psychological dramas, including Une étrange affaire (1981) and Eaux profondes (1981).

© James Travers 2002

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