Telluride at Dartmouth: "Before the Winter Chill"
In the autumn of his life, a doctor’s reputation and family is threatened by his growing attraction to a mysterious young woman
They are the perfect French haute bourgeois couple: Paul (Daniel Auteuil) is a respected surgeon and Lucie (Kristin Scott-Thomas) cooks and gardens exquisitely. But now, in the autumn of his life, Paul can’t resist the lure of an ambiguous and dangerous relationship with a mysterious young woman. Might there be something sinister behind the roses delivered to his office and the “chance” meetings? Director Philippe Claudel’s second film opens as a skillful, unnerving Gallic take on Fatal Attraction, but it is far too smart to follow those well-worn tracks, gradually morphing into something more disconcertingly original and passionate. He extracts a superb, poignant performance from Auteil, offering up an unforgettable glimpse at the skeleton beneath the elegant skin of suburban gentility. (France, subtitled, 2013, 103m) Courtesy of TF1, International