J'ai épousé une ombre
1983 Drama / Romance / Thriller
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Credits
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Summary
Eight months pregnant, Hélène is abandoned by her brutal boyfriend Frank
and is forced to start over again. Leaving her industrial hometown, she takes the
train for the southwest of France. On the train, Hélène meets a couple
of newly weds, Patricia and Bertrand Meyrand, who allow her to take their sleeping berth
– just before the train is derailed, killing most of the passengers. One of
the few survivors of the derailment, Hélène regains consciousness to find
herself in hospital, having just given birth. To her surprise, she is mistaken for
Patricia Meyrand, who in fact died with her husband in the train accident. Bertrand
Meyrand’s parents, Léna and Mathieu, insist that Hélène stays
at their large country estate in Bordeaux, believing that she is their daughter-in-law.
Unable to convince anyone of her real identity, Hélène allows the deception
to be played out. However, she becomes increasingly aware that not everyone is taken
in by the lie. The Meyrand’s younger son, Pierre, who manages the estate’s
vineyard, appears antagonist towards her, whilst his supposed girlfriend, Fifo, is openly
hostile. Hélène’s paranoia turns to panic when she begins to
receive anonymous letters through the post, from someone who clearly knows who she really
is…
Review
Robin Davis directed this this competent yet somewhat tame adaptation of a novel by William
Irish, an American writer whose works have frequently found their way into French cinema.
(François Truffaut adapted two of Irish's novels, for his films La
Mariée était en Noir and La
Sirène du Mississippi). The film's main asset is its leading actress,
Nathalie Baye, who gives a convincing portrayal of a distressed woman who is forced into
assuming another woman’s identity – just the kind of complex, trauma-laden
role in which the actress excels.
Apart from a few embarrassing moments of slushy sentimentality, the film’s blend of romantic melodrama and thriller works surprisingly well, with any weaknesses in the direction or script more than compensated for by the quality of the acting performances. In addition to Nathalie Baye’s compelling portrayal of guilt, distress and desire, there are pleasing contributions from the equally talented Francis Huster, Madeleine Robinson and Richard Bohringer. Alas, the plot is horribly contrived, the stuff of hastily written pulp fiction novels with no great literary pretensions, yet Robin Davis’ treatment of the scenario just about makes it credible, thanks mainly to some moody photography and the suitably introspective performances from his class A lead actors. © James Travers 2004 Write a review for this film... |
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