INTIMATE STRANGERS
Directed by: Patrice Leconte.
Produced by: Alain Sarde.
Written by: Jerôme Tonnerre & Patrice Leconte.
Director of Photography: Eduardo Serra.
Edited by: Joëlle Hache.
Music by: Pascal Estève.
Released by: Paramount Classics.
Language: French.
Country of Origin: France. 105 min. Rated: R.
With: Sandrine Bonnaire, Fabrice Luchini & Anne Brochet.

A disheveled, somberly-dressed woman arrives late for an appointment and upon entering the office of tax attorney William Faber, immediately spills her guts, revealing she’s going mad trapped in a celibate marriage to a gay man. William is too embarrassed to tell her she has made a mistake - the psychiatrist is further down the hall. On her return visit, he confesses the truth, but she blithely dismisses his warning and returns, unscheduled, for her unorthodox treatment. She soon reverses their relationship by interrogating him, even questioning his taste in ties. Obsessive-compulsive William is taken aback as she makes herself at home, rearranging his desk top. But not only does he look forward to her visits, he becomes an amateur sleuth, secretly following her home. Besides Anna's growing obsession with him, wallflower William oddly has a striking Carrie-Anne Moss-look-alike ex-girlfriend (Anne Brochet) pining for him as well.

The essence of the film lies in the mock therapy sessions, which are contemplative, expositional, and slow. (There’s a reason why there haven’t been many films largely centered on the psychiatrist/client relationship.) Interest is sustained, though, by the ominous atmosphere, especially Pascal Estève's undulating Basic Instinct-like score. (Filmed in dark, muted colors, there is even a touch of Rear Window - William’s window looks out onto a hotel room.) But with both Anna and William’s motivation for maintaining their charade a mystery and a red herring or two thrown into the plot, the benign ending may disappoint. However, the seductive premise and the sly interaction between actors Sandrine Bonnaire and Fabrice Luchini should appeal to director Patrice Leconte’s fans, especially those of Man on the Train. Kent Turner
July 30, 2004