The Page Turner

Claude Chabrol's influence is evident in this French psychological thriller from writer-director Denis Dercourt, and there could be no better model. The Page Turner is an unnerving revenge tale that begins when a hopeful young piano student loses her cool while auditioning for a scholarship at a prestigious music school after one of the judges breaks the girl's concentration. Failing the exam, Melanie gives up the instrument entirely, but she has no intention of letting the matter drop. Years later, Melanie (played as an adult by Déborah François) interns at the firm of the pianist/judge's husband and later goes to the family estate as a chaperone to the couple's son while his mother practices with her newly-formed chamber trio—a group she hopes will resurrect her career (following a car accident that destroyed her nerves and left her with a crippling case of stage fright). As the title indicates, the young woman eventually becomes a music page turner for the pianist, who comes to depend on her reassuring presence. Suffice it to say that the protagonist is a strong-willed, methodical person with definite goals in mind, and while—as in many psychological mysteries—the twists here can strain credulity, they're handled with cool efficiency and the film maintains a genuine sense of tension and dread. Much like a book you can't put down, The Page Turner is aptly titled. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 38-minute “making-of” documentary, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine foreign film.] (F. Swietek)