jotix100 A pleasant surprise this film turned out to be, when it showed unexpectedly on an international cable channel recently. The story is set in a part of France that, for all practical purposes, could have happened in Alaska, or Siberia,since this town, in the Franche-Comte region of the country, is one of the coldest spots in Europe.David Rousseau, a crime writer, travels to hear the disposition of a relative's will, where he gets nothing out of the estate. On his way home, he stumbles into a murder that has shaken the community. A young beauty, Candice Lecouer, is found dead in a snowed field. Something does not fit well with David. He had sneaked into the morgue, where he examined the dead woman's body, discovering signs she had been murdered, something which he is an expert in the field. David Rousseau's investigation traces the young woman's life, which reveals the details of the crime Candice was a victim.Directed by Gerald Hustache-Mathieu, who co-wrote the screenplay with Juliette Sales, keeps the viewer involved in the crime that was committed. The plot capitalizes on the fact the murdered woman identified with Marilyn Monroe, her idol, whose legendary life intertwines with Candice's own. The young French counterpart was coveted by many of the citizens of Mouth in ways that both lives parallel the famous model, right down to their choices of men who loved her and those who desired Candice for their own passions. David Rousseau retraces step by step the murder of the local beauty, by comparing events in both women.Jean-Paul Rouve does a credible job with his David, a man who not being a detective, but with his writing experience, knows where to go to find justice. Sophie Quinton's Candice is wonderful to watch. She exudes intelligence and beauty. Gullaume Gouix, seen as the friendly local police, is a nice addition to the film.

fischfin I didn't know anything about 'Nobody else but you' except some of the positive reviews I read online. I was pleasantly surprised how clever and atmospheric the movie was.This is not the greatest movie I have ever see but well worth it if you are looking for an entertaining mystery with a very original ending and that was the hook for me.There are shades of 'Fargo' or 'Twin Peaks' however they are faint and seem more accidental than intentional.The soundtrack was a plus for me as well. As of late I have not been overwhelmed by the movies coming out of France and it was great to have a cinematic experience that seemed uniquely French.

secondtake Nobody Else but You (2011)See this! Part sexual fantasy, part hardboiled detective story, part Twin Peaks surrealism, part Norwegian humor, and part sweet hometown romance.No way? Yes way. Here's roughly how the director and writer Gerald Hustache-Mathieu pulled it off. First is the seemingly main story: a scruffy detective writer of few words is in this snowy village on the Swiss border called Mouth (it really exists) to collect his part of an inheritance, which turns out to be a stuffed dog. You think you're in for a bizarre and dry comedy. But he learns as he leaves town that the young female star of the village was found dead in the fields, officially a suicide. He sticks around to learn more, doubts grow, and he begins to play real world detective. However, the opening scene before even this is a bright, dreamy sequence of a sexualized blonde woman talking to us in voice-over. We have no idea what's going on yet, but the sensual aspects clash with the reality of the rest. Yet the two worlds are the same, of course--the woman is the dead woman, and we see what is going on through her eyes, both as a corpse and in flashbacks. The flashbacks themselves are triggered by entries in a series of diaries left behind. And the story sweeps in a whole assortment of the local townspeople, many of them quirky types themselves (this is the David Lynchian part).Then on top of this is a gradual realization that not only did the woman look like Marilyn Monroe (at least when she goes bright blonde) but she has many parallels to the icon's actual life. The detective begins to think this is more than coincidence, and while falling in love with the memory of this woman he never met, he uncovers more and more of the startling story of her sad life. So, besides the director we have to completely admire the performances of the two leads--the detective played by Jean-Paul Rouve and the young woman played by Sophie Quinton. They are opposites in many ways, but both are a little bit famous and a little bit outcast, too. In the flashbacks and in the current story the two meet the same range of people, so we come to see the context with full complexity. And for those familiar with Monroe's life and lovers (purported and otherwise) the parallels only grow in fascination. It's filmed with terrific energy, from fluid gorgeous camera-work to hand-held kinetic stuff with fast edits, including perky cuts to show faces and highly magnified closeups. (The most memorable of these is the view of the red shiny lips of Quinton as she sings "Poupoupidou" which is the original French title to the movie.) This is all lovely and hilarious and oddly sad, too. An inventive, terrific movie that manages to speed through a few weak points and make little of a contrivance or two, piling on a wonderful soundtrack, and keeping you on your toes from start to finish.See this!

writers_reign The director and leading lady of 'Avril' join forces for another quirky difficult-to-classify entry albeit one without the strong religious overtones of Avril. This time around Sophie Quinton is a local girl totally lacking in self confidence despite Hollywood starlet good lucks and a bubbly personality. She finds fame albeit restricted to being the weather girl on local TV and then finds death. Thriller writer Jean-Paul Rouve happens to be in town - he was born there - at the time and decides to make the tragedy the springboard for a new thriller. His investigations - hampered by the local police chief - lead him to the conclusion that Quinton was murdered by the president of the region and his brother, aided unknowingly and bizarrely by the analyst who was treating Quinton. Similarities to the last days of Marilyn Monroe are unashamedly exploited and the whole thing is well done without being truly memorable.