En face (2000) - film review

A young writer, Jean, and his wife Michelle are struggling to make ends meet when, out of the blue, they inherit a luxurious house opposite their own meagre apartment.  The house belonged to Monsieur Guillemet, whom never of them met before and who stipulated in his will that the house is theirs providing they do not dispose of his private papers and they continue to employ his housekeeper, Clémence.  The apparent dream come true soon begins to turn into a nightmare when Jean discovers that Guillemet may have been murdered and that both Clémence and his wife have many secrets to hide...

En face is the first full length cinema film from director Mathias Ledoux, a bizarre yet stylish mix of suspense thriller and typically French eroticism.  The film’s first half is gripping, thanks to the creepy location and an even creepier performance from Christine Boisson as the mysterious housekeeper Clémence.   Unfortunately, as the film develops it becomes less and less convincing and increasingly frustrating, as the plot gets tangled up in its complexity and the production team go into artistic overload.  Whilst it is possible to enjoy the performances from the film’s stars, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Clotilde Courau, the film is ultimately unsatisfying, ruined by a senseless explosion of B-movie histrionics towards the film’s climax, leading to a surreal ending which looks as if it belongs to an entirely different film.

© James Travers 2002

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