Before the Winter Chill – Review by Frank L.

Director: Philippe Claudel
Writer: Philippe Claudel (screenplay)
Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas, Leïla Bekhtiby Phillipe Claudel

Claudel directs Kristin Scott Thomas (“Lucie”) after their highly acclaimed collaboration in 2008 in ‘I’ve loved you so long’. Here she exudes the calm confidence of a sophisticated, somewhat younger wife of a successful and high-powered neurosurgeon Daniel Auteuil (“Paul”) who is approaching the end of his career. They have all the consequential trappings including a beautiful modern house set in a sylvan setting, a son a successful banker, a calm daughter-in-law, a grandchild… everything is in order. But this elegant duo have their certainties rumbled by Paul’s fascination with a young girl who claims she is a former patient, Leila Bekhti (“Lou”). He is stalked by the anonymous delivery to him at his home and in his consulting rooms of bunches of blood red roses. It is a mystery from whom the roses are coming. Lucie also has an old entanglement on the back burner. While crises develop which dents slightly the hauteur of this couple’s well- ordered life their comfortable societal ballast is challenged.

Throughout Claudel has many fine touches not least the sophisticated al fresco lunch parties which frame the beginning and end of the move. The use of the tune Roses of Picardy brings a smile to the face and a concert performance by a statuesque soprano singing from La Boheme in a tight full- length dress fitted to her every curve and which has a train which coils around the stage until it disappears out of sight off stage is a memorable visual highlight.

However the relationship between Paul and Lou somehow just seems to be out of sync with this oh so cool ,carefully structured, sophisticated way of life. While acted with aplomb by Auteuil, the relationship with Lou is hard to credit but, of course, he is not the first nor will he be the last man to be enchanted by a young nubile girl many years his junior. Into the most ordered of lives discord must intrude and Claudel depicts with panache how Lucie and Paul handle the consequences of their peccadilloes.