Roman de Gare

Now that French cinema has grown out of its shock phase, we’re seeing some tightly executed thrillers in a Hitchcockian vein. Roman de Gare succeeds by neatly playing with audience expectations in a story that is impossible to describe, since each twist and turn redefines virtually everything that’s happening. Suffice it to say that someone is writing a novel; someone is killing people; and someone has vanished—and they may all be the same person. An enigmatic performance by Dominique Pinon (Amelie, The City of Lost Children) and a vicious turn by relative newcomer Audrey Dana add to the fun, if watching people manipulate, lie to and possibly kill each other can be called “fun.” (Note: It can, in fact, be called fun.)