The Page Turner
2006 ‘La Tourneuse de Pages’ Directed by Denis Dercourt, Rafaele Ravinet-Virbel
Synopsis
Mélanie Prouvost, a ten-year-old butcher's daughter, is a gifted pianist. That is why she and her parents decide that she sit for the Conservatory entrance exam. Although Mélanie is very likely to be admitted, she unfortunately gets distracted by the president of the jury's offhand attitude and she fails. Ten years later, Mélanie becomes her page turner, waiting patiently for her revenge.
Cast
Popular reviews
More-
The Page Turner is an underrated, understated and meticulously crafted French thriller. It is often compared to early Chabrol but there are hints of Haneke here too particularly in how methodical it is and how detached it can all seem. Either way, comparisons with two of European cinema’s greats is deserved praise indeed. The film follows a young woman (Melanie) and her plot for revenge on a respected pianist she believes cost her a place at a Conservatory as a child. It hardly seems grounds for ruining a woman’s life but such an innocuous incident (not even noticed by the older woman) has festered and grown to consume the protagonist beyond all reason.
The film gradually ratchets up the tension…
Recent reviews
More-
Ah, the French do the psychological drama so well - it's all in the acting, and not the dialogue. Melanie is calculating, unpredictable and down right out for revenge. Great performances and extremely watchable, but could have done with a bit more oomph. The faint at the end was also a little OTT...
-
The Page Turner is an underrated, understated and meticulously crafted French thriller. It is often compared to early Chabrol but there are hints of Haneke here too particularly in how methodical it is and how detached it can all seem. Either way, comparisons with two of European cinema’s greats is deserved praise indeed. The film follows a young woman (Melanie) and her plot for revenge on a respected pianist she believes cost her a place at a Conservatory as a child. It hardly seems grounds for ruining a woman’s life but such an innocuous incident (not even noticed by the older woman) has festered and grown to consume the protagonist beyond all reason.
The film gradually ratchets up the tension…
-
Perhaps the sort of movie one would aspire to achieve in last year at film school rather than box office entertainment, but this most elegant chamber piece is pretty faultless. Unfortunately the whole thing is rather telegraphed from the start, so whilst this is technically a thriller, we are in the know and only waiting for the inevitable denouement.
But, of course, I am being unfair, this is so well put together and nobody puts a foot wrong throughout. Well maybe the cellist, but that’s just my little joke! Deborah François’ central and crucial performance is a lesson to all. She does not have a mass of lines but she propels the film with her movement and her gaze. In…