The Big Picture

An interesting character study of an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation, The Big Picture may lag when it should be heating up but it's got enough in the engine to keep interest up throughout.

Paul Exben (Duris, Heartbreaker) wanted to be a photographer but swapped his dream to become a successful lawyer in a firm, of which he now half owns with Anne (Deneuve). His friend Grégorie (Eric Ruf) didn't give up the ghost and, despite perpetual rejections, continues to pitch ideas to various magazines. When Paul's frustrated wife Sarah (Fois) informs him that she's leaving Paul for Grégorie, Paul confronts his friend who confirms Sarah's story with a nonchalant dismissal. When Paul accidently kills Grégorie after a tussle, he embarks on an elaborate cover up, fakes his own death and, assuming Grégorie's identity, makes for Yugoslavia to start anew...

There are two films that spring to mind while watching The Big Picture: Antonioni's The Passenger and Minghella's The Talented Mister Ripley, but it's easy to forget these quickly as The Big Picture becomes an engrossing drama in its own right. Knowing the cold, paranoid figure he will slowly transform into, director Eric Larigau, working from Douglas Kennedy's novel, works hard in the opening salvo to paint Paul as a decent guy. He's asked to talk to an associate's son to encourage him to get his life in gear, his boss is prepared to will the company to him, and he's a great father to his kids. This extended dalliance at the outset (the film takes a while to get going) is important because later, when Paul is forced to commit horrible crimes, it will ensure that his plight will not be lost on the audience. Being on board with Paul and his choices are paramount if one is to enjoy this film.

Lartigau sticks close to Paul throughout, sticking the camera tight in Duris' face so he can somehow crawl into his head to see what's going on. Although Duris is able to convey a lot with his hangdog expression, this is impossible but Lartigau is successful in getting under the fingernails of the man in the situation. How the brain might tick, the paranoia, the stripping of humanity, the distancing of emotion, the moral ambiguity – it's all here. Unlike Anything For Her, Paul's plan of action is kept secret from the audience: we only know what he plans to do as he's doing it and this keeps the tension high.

The Big Picture, however, loses its way and slows up with an ill-advised rambling third act when it should be hurtling towards a worthy climax, but this highly unpredictable tale is worth a watch.