Unforgivable

In the hands of a lesser director, Unforgivable could have easily had the wordy, one-dimensional quality of a claustrophobic relationship movie like Woody Allen's Interiors. Luckily, under André Téchiné's deft direction, the many intertwining characters here—who have very different ways of dealing with life's curveballs—exhibit a depth and dimension all too rare in narrative film. Set in and around the enchanting city of Venice, the story focuses on Francis (André Dussollier), a once-successful but now blocked elderly writer looking for a house that might provide geographical inspiration for his writing. Francis instantly falls in love with his real estate agent, fiftysomething former model Judith (still-stunning French actress Carole Bouquet). After the two are hastily married, Judith's mysterious pan-sexual past begins to weigh more and more heavily on Francis's unoccupied mind, leading to increasing suspicions concerning his wife's daily life away from home. This obsession sets in motion a series of unforeseen events that will eventually inspire his writing but also threaten his relationship with his wife and everyone else around him. Téchiné succeeds in pulling off unexpected but wholly satisfying character transformations through the subtle back-and-forth shifts in power we witness in Judith and Francis's odd relationship. Highly recommended. (M. Sandlin)