The Movie
Originally released in 2006 and washing up on American shores last year, Tell No One is the stylish tale of a likable enough pediatrician (François Cluzet, who looks remarkably like a younger, Frencher Dustin Hoffman) blamed for the murder of his wife. When the case is unexpectedly reopened eight years later, he soon finds himself the prime suspect, as more bodies begin to pile up and strange multimedia emails arrive from... the deceased?
The tried-and-true staples of the genre are here: Vertigo-esque obsession with a lost love, a hero on the run like a Fugitive, ultimately uncovering a Sin City-worthy bad guy. But at some point this mystery/thriller mash-up transcends mere rehash and finds its own groove, an arty European flavor that only enhances the Harlan Coben novel upon which it's based. And did everyone but me know that Kristin Scott Thomas speaks such beautiful French?
Check out David Kempler's review of Tell No One (Ne Le Dis a Personne).
The Picture
There's some beautiful photography on display throughout, notably the French countryside captured in warm tones. Blacks are terrific too, clean and natural and wholly cinematic. I did note a few artifacts on tough stuff like cigarette smoke (this is Europe, after all) as seen through a dirty windshield, and some noise amid the usual suspects, darker areas of the 2.35:1 frame or out-of-focus backgrounds, but I've definitely seen them looking much worse than they do here. Overall this is a lovely video presentation.
We're given a curious combination of audio options: English Dolby Digital 2.0, French Dolby Digital 5.1 and French 2.0 PCM Lossless. I always recommend watching foreign films in their original language so I bounced between the French 5.1 (default) and 2.0, and was surprised by the results. There is a distinct, subtle multichannel presence to the Dolby Digital track, but the 48kHz/1.536Kbps Linear 2-channel PCM mix is fuller, cleaner and more detailed, offering greater impact. This impact is evident in scenes such as a shot inside a cremation oven when the flames kick in, or when doors close with a hefty, solid thump. It just sound (and feels) right, even without the benefit of a dedicated LFE channel. There's a genuine depth to this track--don't dismiss it as "plain old stereo!"--that borders upon the hearty embrace of actual surround, even capturing the feel of driving under an overpass. A variety of music adorns the soundtrack as well, all of it well-served by the PCM 2.0 track, notably during an intense chase scene.
The Extras
Six minutes of outtakes and bloopers are presented in high-definition, although the actual quality varies. The repeated takes of our hero being bludgeoned and knocked naked and unconscious into a lake inspire sympathy if nothing else. There are also 34 minutes of deleted, extended and alternate scenes, also in HD, always an interesting accompaniment to a movie like this where the information is doled out so precisely. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is "Tell No One: The B-Side" (56 minutes, in HD), one of the better-produced "making of" programs I've seen in some time, in multiple languages and at times with multiple screens.
Final Thoughts
One of the great things about home video is the chance to catch up on the worthy films that never made it to your local multiplex, and Tell No One certainly qualifies. The labyrinthine plot is a lot to process, especially with the language barrier, so you might find yourself watching and later re-watching to help sort through all the clues.
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