French directing duo Christophe Ali and Nicolas Bonilauri are back with a new movie after an absence of ten years from our screens. For their return they have chosen a wonderfully tense and stylized very European thriller about a grieving mother exacting revenge for the death of her teenager Sebastian son who was killed in a car accident nine years previously. Marie France (a completely brilliant Nathalie Baye) finagles her way into a job as the Secretary to architect Thomas Lemans (Malik Zidi) who had been driving his wife to hospital that night to give birth to their son Leo, when their car struck Sebastian. Thomas’s marriage is now on the rocks, and he and his wife live separately and they share custody of their son. Facts that Marie France knows far too well, as she has installed herself in an apartment across the street from where Thomas and Leo live.
Thomas initially resents the presence of his new employee Marie France as she very quickly makes a noticeable impact in improving the efficient running of his office, which attracts a great deal of notice from others including the Company boss. She also manages to contrive her way into becoming Leo’s babysitter when Thomas needs to work late. Now with his defenses down somewhat, and with no clue whatsoever as to her true identity, Thomas includes Marie France into the occasional family gathering, and whilst Audrey his estranged wife (Sabrina Seyvecou) doesn’t take to the newcomer at all, Thomas’s widowed father Eric (Johan Leysen) does, and after a very short time, actually marries Marie France.
Now all the elements are in place for Marie France to finally get some retribution from the family that destroyed hers.
The build up to this part has been chillingly unsettling mainly thanks to Baye’s excellent performance as the icy manipulative and determined Marie France who never gives a clue to her intended victims about her plans. Sadly however, Ali and Bonilauri opt for a rather safe and somewhat predictable end which is a tad disappointing, although nevertheless Baye’s turn as the crazy granny is worth the price of admission alone, and so much more.
