The Woman in the Fifth
2012 ‘La femme du Vème’ Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Synopsis
An American writer moves to Paris to be closer to his daughter and finds himself falling immediately on hard times. Befriended by a French Arab who offers him a job, Tom finds himself employed as a security agent as he struggles to write his second novel and see his daughter. Meanwhile, his personal life takes a turn as he becomes involved with a beguiling woman.
Cast
Studios
Popular reviews
More-
Far and away one of the more under-appreciated films of the last year, Pawel Pawlikowski's highly effective psychological drama, The Woman in the Fifth, has managed to stay with me the most of all three films I watched last night. That might not seem like a significant statement, but remember...I watched Holy Motors.
I'm assuming this has gotten mixed reviews because some think it has a deliberate pace, and I would say they had a point if the movie wasn't only 80 minutes in length. I found that it moved things along perfectly for the amount of time it allotted itself, and combined with the assured direction and actors immersed in their characters, this one came out impressive. Maybe I…
-
It has been eight years since Pawel Pawlikowski's last film (the excellent and underrated, My Summer of Love) so I was looking forward to see how his return would fare. In truth, The Woman in the Fifth is a mixed bag, whilst it has strong performances from the entire cast and creates an intriguing air of melancholic dread it is also far too ponderous (despite its brief runtime) and never quite delivers the climax it deserves or needs.
American novelist (Ethan Hawke) travels to Paris to reconnect with his estranged wife and daughter. Through a series of unfortunate events he has his belongings stolen, ends up working for his shady landlord and begins affairs with two very different women. Yet…
-
I have a dilemma in reviewing the Ethan Hawke vehicle “Woman In The Fifth”; for if I even begin to describe what takes place here I run the risk of possibly revealing something that may well be better left for another viewer to discover (or decipher) on their own. Even saying that is perhaps revealing too much, as suffice it to say, everything may not be what it appears to be with the film, and as it rests its hat on said ambiguity I cannot comment further.
What I will say is that this film is very atmospheric, filmed in a style where the foreground is always in focus, while the background is often fuzzy. This point of view is…
-
The Woman in the Fifth thinks it's a lot more mysterious and intelligent than it actually is. I was bored with the pace from the opening scene and it never really picks up after that. I was hoping to at least enjoy the "passionate" relationship between Ethan Hawke and Kristin Scott Thomas, but even that part of the film was completely off the mark. I understand that Thomas is supposed to be cold and distant, but I didn't feel like they had any chemistry at all. The film is admittedly very atmospheric and it has its moments, but in the end it feels unfinished and half-assed. Even though the film moves along at an almost unbearably slow pace, it probably would've benefited from more time to complete the twists and give the film a proper ending.
-
Review from my VOD column "This Week on Demand".
It’s been a busy year for Ethan Hawke, his terrific performance in Sinister doing a great deal to gloss over the wider flaws at work in the plot, his top-secret scripting and shooting of one of the most anticipated forthcoming films earning him and his co-workers much respect in an age where nothing remains long under wraps anymore. The Woman in the Fifth is undoubtedly the low part of his 2012, its staid drama and stilted thrills leaving him traipsing about the alleys of Paris speaking French very poorly and occasionally consorting with Kristin Scott Thomas for a steamy affair. Pawel Pawlowski’s film is reasonably well-directed, it’s just so fixated on…
-
Straddling the line between remaining true to Douglas Kennedy’s original novel and venturing off into director Pawel Pawlikowski’s languid style of filmmaking, this big screen adaptation of The Woman in the Fifth is an enigmatic and fluidly paced film that is both a peculiar, character-driven drama and an elusively curious psychological thriller that features a wealth of fine, unshowy performances.
Ethan Hawke plays Tom Ricks, a troubled American writer who has travelled to Paris to, he claims, look after his daughter while his estranged wife (Delphine Chuillot) works. After breaking his court-appointed exclusion order, misplacing his luggage and being continuously denied access to his daughter Chloé, Tom finds himself penniless and alone, staying in a squalid hotel but unable to…
Recent reviews
More-
This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
-
Hard to believe I watched this randomly just after Tell No One. Don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that this one boasts a Polish DP and director, and a male protagonist who's a better actor. Unfortunately I think the best things in the film are a shot of a lonely bus stop and Ethan Hawke sitting in a windowless room answering door bells.
-
Liked the film quite abit.Some great performances and a very interesting slow burn plot.i saw this film in two halves and i dont know if it was that but some aspects of the film i couldnt get my head around.This will get a rewatch.someone else watch it and help me out!! please
-
There are a lot of things you can say about "The Woman In The Fifth" but being conventional is not one of them. This is a failed experiment in a sense and somewhat incomplete, even for a weird ambiguous thriller. But I liked it nonetheless. I don't know if my initial reservations (that remained fairly unshaken) were more or less caused by the mere presence of the eternally youthful, pretentious and limited Ethan Hawke. Director Pawlikowski chose to put him, for some reason, in the role of the bitter, recently divorced protagonist who is forced to move to a foreign country to be close to his daughter. Equally idiosyncratic is the pairing of Hawke and the significantly older Kristin Scott…
-
He’s a broke hipster nerd but somehow manages to capture the love of two beautiful Parisians. Only in Ethan Hawke’s world.
Illuminated by some very good performances, especially one by Ethan Hawke, Woman in the Fifth is a high-end noir drama that focuses on child custody, passionate encounters and an unexplainable murder spree in the low-end suburbs of Paris…while it’s intermittently successful at putting forth a few original ideas, it exposes a plot that fails to push the boundaries.
Full Review...filmhipster.com/2013/03/28/the-woman-in-the-fifth-2012-2/
-
Hawke puts in a solid performance, an intriguing and mysterious character, similar to the make-up of the film itself. although questions are left unanswered thyere was enough in the film to make in enjoyable, and sometimes it's nice to be left guessing. beautifully & imaginatively shot, exhibiting Paris' beauty & seediness, I will always be on the lookout for PP's films, haven't been let down yet
-
I have a dilemma in reviewing the Ethan Hawke vehicle “Woman In The Fifth”; for if I even begin to describe what takes place here I run the risk of possibly revealing something that may well be better left for another viewer to discover (or decipher) on their own. Even saying that is perhaps revealing too much, as suffice it to say, everything may not be what it appears to be with the film, and as it rests its hat on said ambiguity I cannot comment further.
What I will say is that this film is very atmospheric, filmed in a style where the foreground is always in focus, while the background is often fuzzy. This point of view is…
-
Really enjoyed Pawel Pawlikowski's first two films so was looking forward to watching this.
For the most part I really like this film. Ethan Hawk is great as the writer thrown into suspenseful exile whilst trying to rebuild relationship with his estranged wife and daughter, simultaneously grappling his own existence.
The films transition into more abstract meaning could've been smoother and didn't have the revelatory punch that would satisfy the change in gear.
Gonna give it a second watch at some point as I think it'll grow on me. -
Intimate drama with Ethan Hawke and Kristin Scott Thomas. Hawke moves to Paris to visit his wife and daughter. This turns not out as he expected. He gets robbed and moves into a shabby hotel. He meets Kristin at a party and starts an affair. The story has a strange atmosphere around it and makes it worthwhile watching until the unexpected end.