Sur mes lèvres (2001)

Director:

Jacques Audiard

Writers:

Jacques Audiard (writer)
Tonino Benacquista (writer)

Release Date:

17 October 2001 (Belgium)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Il va lui apprendre les mauvaises manières... Elle lui apprendra les bonnes.

Plot:

She is almost deaf and she lip-reads. He is an ex-convict. She wants to help him. He thinks no one can help except himself.

Plot Keywords:

Trainee | Secretary | Ex Convict | Trick | Boss

Awards:

7 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Vincent Cassel	...	Paul
Emmanuelle Devos	...	Carla
Olivier Gourmet	...	Marchand
Olivier Perrier	...	Masson
Olivia Bonamy	...	Annie
Bernard Alane	...	Morel
Céline Samie	...	Josie
Pierre Diot	...	Keller
François Loriquet	...	Jean-François
Serge Boutleroff	...	Mammouth
David Saracino	...	Richard Carambo
Christophe Vandevelde	...	Louis Carambo
Bô Gaultier de Kermoal	...	Le Barman
Loïc Le Page	...	Quentin
Nathalie Lacroix	...	L'Employée ANPE

Also Known As:

Read My Lips (Canada: English title) (DVD title)
Blodrøde læber (Denmark) [da]
Lee mis labios (Argentina) [es]
Lippenbekenntnisse (Germany) (TV title) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and some sexual content.

Runtime:

115 min | Argentina:119 min | UK:118 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | France:U | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Canal+

Goofs:

Continuity: When she passes out she is wearing a sweater set, she is revived by unbuttoning her blouse, but is back in the sweater set to meet with her boss.

Movie Connections:

References Rear Window (1954)

Soundtrack:

La Mouche

There is no reason for not believing in the quality of this movie

I must admit that I had my doubts about this movie before I was going to watch it. The main reason for that is because it was compared to a Hitchcock movie. I've seen several movies that were said to be inspired by Hitchcock or that could have been made by the 'Master of Suspense' himself, but so far I haven't seen any of these movie that would be able to stand the test of time. In my opinion Hitchcock has become a household name which is too easily used to promote some (cheap) thrillers, but on the other hand I must admit that I was intrigued by it because this is a European movie. Normally it's the big Hollywood studios who like to abuse Hitchcock's name if that can raise their income. But this movie was made in one of the most chauvinistic European countries ever and I'm sure that most French would rather drop dead than to admit that their movies have been inspired by an Englishman. That's why I decided to give this movie a try and I must say that I'm glad that I did.

"Sur mes lèvres" or "Read my Lips" as it is called in English, tells the story of a young secretary named Carla. She is a hardworking and loyal employee, but has never been very appreciated by her colleagues. That has much to do with the fact that she suffers from a hearing deficiency, which has denied her to climb up on the hierarchical ladder of the company. But when she is allowed to hire a trainee that can work for her, all this is about to change. Paul Angeli is a 25 year old and completely unskilled ex-convict. The man is a thief, but Carla gives him a chance and covers for him when needed. She hopes to teach him what a regular life should look like, but at the same time he drags her with him in his old life...

Since I still believe that the name Hitchcock is used too often to describe a very good thriller - which this movie definitely is - I will not make any comparisons between Hitchcock and Jacques Audiard's directing. Fact is that the man has done a really good job with this movie. I hadn't heard of him before, but it is true that he knows how to build up suspense and how to keep you interested from the beginning until the end. That also has a lot to do with the very fine and original story of course. I doubt if there is someone in Hollywood who has ever come up with the idea of using a handicapped woman in a powerful role, instead of making her the helpless subject of an abusive husband (you know, the typical TV-movie story).

Also worth noticing is the acting in this movie. Vincent Cassel is quite famous, but Emmanuelle Devos was a complete mystery to me. There is absolutely nothing glamorous about their roles, but they both did an excellent job with their characters, making them feel very believable and realistic. Paul could have been the average tough guy right out of jail and Carla the typically helpless woman, but thanks to their performances, you really believe that these are two strong people who both have had some bad luck in life but who will make the best out of it together.

All in all this is a powerful movie with a very fine script and some excellent acting. Despite the fact that I had my doubts about it, I've soon become one of its greatest admirers. I give this movie an 8/10. Don't hesitate to give it a try.