Don't Look Back (2009)

Excellent adaptation.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Metamorphosis of a woman into someone else. Not only her, but also people surrounding her, including inanimate objects. What an original and unique plot! A gripping plot, without any dull moment! Both Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci have acted excellently, without any flaw. I love fantasy and surreal movies. This is a fine example of how a fantasy movie should be. Even though this movie has been classified under horror genre, there is no horror element in this movie. After watching this movie, I had both feelings of understanding the movie as well as not understanding the movie. It's a unique feeling. I enjoyed every bit of this movie. This movie has been clearly underrated by people who don't understand fantasy/surreal movies. Kudos to the director for making such an extraordinary movie.

It is clear Jeanne, a young writer is having some problems dealing with rejection. Her new book, a sure winner, is turned down at the start of the film by her editor. Jeanne, who appears to be a middle class woman with a nice husband and family, begins imagining things. The child she sees outside her apartment looks familiar to her, yet, she has not a clue about how that girl fits into her life.It is clear that Jeanne is having a lot of doubts about herself. Slowly, her life spins out of control. Jeanne has a special thing about Italy, so she must go there in order to find out what is really going on. As she arrives there, things get out of hand. The woman she thought was her mother is now working at her family's restaurant. Before that, Jeanne changes in front of our own eyes to become a different person. Pursuing a not too clear past comes as a shock and a surprise to the viewer.This French film conceived and directed by Marina De Van, is puzzling at best. It is obvious everything one is watching is happening in her mind. Ms. De Van's tale of suspense presents a lot for the audience to absorb. It is not an easy movie to sit through and it demands a lot from the viewer who is easily confused as Jeanne is seen as a different person, with a different husband to boot.The allure in watching "Don't Look Back" was the presence of two popular actresses, Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci. Both actresses have done much better work before, and frankly, this film does not add much luster to their otherwise good film careers. Andrea Di Stefano and Thierry Neuvic are seen as Gianni and Teo.

***LOTS OF SPOILERS***Okay, like a lot of the reviewers on here, this move left me very frustrated and confused by the end. Even if you were to believe the supposed explanation of the plot, there's still huge amounts of events that make absolutely no sense and are never explained. 1. when she sees her young self for the first time, why is her young self hit by a car? (not the near miss, but later in the background)2. What are the hand signals all about??? They never even attempt to try to explain this!3. Her sons mole, why in god's name would it move? Even if she was seeing him as her little brother, which I guess is what they were trying to convey? but still, why would the mole move from one place to another?4. What's with the table? They make this seem so relevant in the beginning and NEVER explain it. 5. Why would she imagine her brother as her husband?? The list goes on and on... This movie was basically a less interesting David Lynch plot line minus the intriguing camera work. It tries to explain itself too little to make it make sense and too much to make it truly weird and Lynch-ian.Other major flaws: In the beginning there's not nearly enough detail showed of the apartment to even pick up on what exactly is changing. The ending when the two women are writing together makes no sense at all. Is she the ghost of the blonde girl or her new self?? Seriously? No, no matter how you try to explain this movie, it doesn't make sense.

And to not give things away, you're not sure whether there's a psychological thriller or some odd crime-horror thing going on until near the end. Fortunately, it does stay consistent with the story it tells, so the ending isn't illogical or a surprise simply for the sake of surprise.As is becoming more common recently, you're dropped into the story from the character's point of view with no setup and only minimal context, seeing the world almost completely through her eyes.It also brings in some interesting facial/body visual FX morphing to help tell the story, so fans of the main actresses get their wish in seeing what they might look like if combined.There are a few annoying plot inconsistencies and story development limitations, but if you ever wondered what a chick-flick thriller might be like, you now have an answer.