Don't Look Back (2009)

i don't review much but i felt the need to align my voice with others on here who think this flick a steaming pile of pig dung. did it suffer from too-many-cooks syndrome where it abounded with too much talent (Marceau, Bellucci, De Van - i mean, it should have been a NO BRAINER) that it all canceled each other out? a lot of its failings would have been eliminated if De Van decided on one definite perspective with respect to all the face changing jazz (I've got similar gripes about black swan but that's another day another post). possibility one: her face isn't changing at all but she thinks she is and that's why we're seeing the changes. this means she's insane or from another planet where faces change. she's treated for her illness or she finally realizes she's an alien and modifies her behavior accordingly (i won't freak out about the kitchen table moving anymore because my family is but poor lowly humans). possibility two: everyone in her life is conspiring against her. in this case, as opposed to possibility one, she will try to get help by telling everyone she runs into something to this effect: help me my face is changing (or whatever), to which they would (and in fact did in the picture) respond by saying something like: oh dear, you must be unwell, everything is just as it's always been. the end of possibility two could have been something like that great movie seconds. the lazy film trope of protagonists coming to grips with the memory they've been suppressing has officially reached "oh lord god make it stop" annoying level, as if it's some kind of artful thing to be vague, confusing and indecisive as filmmakers. i much MUCH preferred Devan's earlier effort Dans Ma Peau where the "fantasy" elements of the protagonist mutilating herself came to a head with her locking herself in a hotel room and slicing dicing and eating herself. the audience knew exactly what was happening and that these weren't figurative images anymore but existed in the reality of the picture. this kind of turd pile makes me hate life.

Sophie Marceau is one of my favourite actresses and is probably the only reason I gave this film a rating of 3.As far as the plot is concerned, I found it far too confusing and complicated to follow. It starts out promising enough when Jeanne starts seeing things that seem odd, and one is left wondering how the story will develop. But when she herself transforms into a completely different woman, that's when I, quite frankly, "lost the plot". I quite simply don't get it.I do like films where things don't always seem what they are (and French directors are in my view especially good at this), and where the story can be interpreted in different ways ("Anthony Zimmer", also featuring Sophie Marceau, is a prime example and in my eyes actually a masterpiece in the psychological thriller genre). But here, the story seems flawed and over-complicated, with no satisfactory resolution.

In France, Jeanne (Sophie Marceau) is a writer and researcher of historical events and biographies, married with two children, who is venturing into a novel based on her memories. However, in the opinion of her editor, her narrative is cold and without emotions and she has no recollections before the age of eight, when she had a car accident. She pushes her memories and starts to have visual distortions of her home first and then she does not recognize her husband, children and even her mother. She decides to travel to Italy and along the trip she physically changes to another Jeanne (Monica Bellucci). Once in Italy, she finds her mother and husband and learns the truth about her past."Ne te retourne pás" is an engaging but flawed psychological thriller with two of the most beautiful European actresses, Monica Bellucci and Sophie Marceau. The acting is top-notch and Monica Bellucci makes a perfect transition of characters with her fluent French and Italian. The special effects are also awesome with the merging of Monica Bellucci and Sophie Marceau in one character. However, the story never explains how Rosa Maria could project her adult brother as her husband if she had never seen him again. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Encontro com o Passado" ("Meeting with the Past")

All the reviews seems to concentrate on who is the director... the writer... the actor... Come on... Sure, its very important, but after seeing a movie what really matters is whether you liked it or not... The most important thing is (I think) if it is worth seeing, if it is worth your time... From the very beginning it seems it is... The story is intriguing... It's hard not to wonder what is going on... The main character seems to have some really serious problems with either a split of personality or some serious disease...And sure do not forget it is Sophie Marceau and Monica Belucci who are in the role of the main character, and they, as all could expect, are really superb! The story seems quite complicated, at times one might think it takes too long to really realize what in fact is going on and who is who... However, it is really intriguing, mysterious and moving... Is it really possible? How can it be possible? Is it better than death? Could I survive that? Those are the questions I have been asking myself... Do you wonder what would you ask? Watch it... it is really worth it...