An engineer (Lucas) and his wife (Gainsbourg) invite his boss (Dussollier) and his wife (Rampling) around to dinner, where she proceeds to have a violent outburst. A few days later, the boss' wife attempts to seduce the engineer. Later still, she turns up back at the engineer's house, and after needing a rest, kills herself. Then things really start to get strange...
by David Parkinson |
Published on
Release Date:
28 Apr 2006
Running Time:
130 minutes
Certificate:
15
Original Title:
Lemming
Five years after Harry, He’s Here To Help, director Dominik Moll returns with another disconcertingly quirky thriller that’s destined for cult status. But, as before, he is unable to sustain his intriguing premise.
Laurent Lucas (the victim from Harry… and the recent Calvaire) again falls foul of fate, as boss André Dussollier’s embittered wife (Charlotte Rampling) suicides in the house he shares with his devoted wife (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who proceeds to become Dussollier’s mistress. And all seemingly because a lemming got trapped in the S-bend of a kitchen sink. The atmosphere is foreboding and performances impeccable, but the cumulative inexplicability of events eventually overstrains credibility. So, while this is fascinating and fun, it’s also frustrating.
A superb cast valiantly attempts to keep the contrivances of an initially intriguing plot within the bounds of credibility and are ultimately confounded by an excess of ambiguity.
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