Movie Review: Don’t Look Back (Ne Te Retourne Pas) (2009) – Score: B+

 

Jeanne (Sophie Marceau), a journalist turned author and a somewhat detached wife and mother, starts experiencing gradual nevertheless traumatizing changes in her surroundings and in her own body which eventually leads to a trip to a past she can’t remember (she has no recollection of her childhood before the age of 8)… The story itself proves to not be as exciting as the telling of Jeanne’s transformation and the dramatic impact of the changes in her perception…. It is tantalizing to watch someone become so helpless as the people she loves look like complete strangers and the places she lives look nothing like what they actually are, not to her…

Of course, none of this would be as tantalizing or exciting to watch if Jeanne was not played by Sophie Marceau… and eventually by Monica Belluci. Like my friend Shama said, it can’t be that bad, if you were suddenly turning into Monica Bellucci. Both leading ladies are smoldering hot. They are in their 40s true but these are untouched, un-nipped and un-tucked women that have real talent and very acceptable T&As. I am telling you as it is.
Anyway, the movie, which is now available on DVD or streaming online on both VUDU and Netflix, is fairly low budget but you will find that you don’t care if some of the special effects towards the end are somewhat childish… The storytelling by the writer/director Marina De Van (writing credit shared by Jeanne Akchoti) is just phenomenal. I am not familiar with her work and this movie makes me want to see more of her accomplishments both as a writer and a director.
Sophie Marceau is great as Jeanne #1. I remember when she burst into the European movie scene in early 90s and then dwell in some mediocre Hollywood fare (like being the bad guy/Bond Girl in The World is Not Enough, and playing love interest in BraveHeart as well as Lost & Found with David Spade no less. Sometimes I wish I didn’t know or remember all this shit since IMDB seems to have it all although I occasionally find some holes in their database) before returning home and going back to awesome. Monica Belluci followed the same route pretty much but I’d argue that she had more success. She was in the Matrix sequels, Tears of the Sun, Shoot ‘em Up with lovely Clive Owen but I remember her first from 2001’s Brotherhood of the Wolf, one of the most underrated action flicks and one of the best ever.  Plus she is married to my favorite French actor, Vincent Cassell.

Good directing, decent overall technical credits and a pretty darn strong cast makes Don’t Look Back a good movie, but the ending is somewhat of a letdown. Thankfully, the letdown is not bad enough to ruin the watching experience… And for that reason I give this movie a B+.