Film Reviews

The Page-Turner

• Rating:
• Director: Denis Dercourt
• Starring: Catherine Fort
• Details: France / 85mins (15).

Aspiring pianist Melanie Prouvost's (Francois) audition for the Conservatory goes horribly wrong when she is distracted by renowned musician and juror Ariane Froucecort's (Fort) offhand attitude. Her resulting performance is underwhelming and she is denied a place in the prestigious school. Now older and working as a temp in Ariane's husband's office, Melanie is given the ideal chance for revenge when she is asked to babysit their son. Moving into the Froucecort's house, Melanie offers to be the page-turner for Ariane's (who now suffers from stage fright) upcoming concert. In an excellent position for revenge, Melanie plans to ruin Ariane's life. Even though Denis Dercourt's latest film is under an hour-and-a-half, it feels much longer. The Page Turner is one of those slow-building movies that bide their time before exploding at the climax. But if you are building something up at a snail's pace, the pay off better be something big, or at least something that was worth the wait. Unfortunately, The Page Turner's climax is a dud and in no way makes the film worthwhile. There is really nothing to sink your teeth into here; the dialogue is used sparingly and Dercourt, a classical musician himself, seems to be more in love with the music than telling the story. The performances are all fine and Dercourt's slow, patient directing is flawless; but the big question is 'why bother in the first place?'

Review by Gavin Burke