Film: The Serpent
Release date: 29th September 2008
Certificate: 15
Running time: 119 mins
Director: Eric Barbier
Starring: Yvan Attal, Clovis Cornillac, Olga Kurylenko, Pierre Richard , Simon Abkarian
Genre: Thriller
Studio: In2Film
Format: DVD
Country: France
In the mould of Tell No One, and more recently Anything for Her, The Serpent is a tense French thriller based on the novel Plender by Get Carter scribe Ted Lewis. The film follows an ordinary individual thrust into extraordinary circumstances in a brutal tale of honour, revenge and personal courage.
The film begins with Vincent (Yvan Attal) going through a difficult divorce and a custody battle for the right to see his children. At work, he is met by a last minute replacement for a lingerie shoot by a stunningly beautiful, but emotionally fragile girl named Sofia (Olga Kurylenko). The two connect, but the following day Vincent is accused of rape. He meets Sophia again, although a terrifying accident complicates Vincent’s position further.
He then meets Joseph Plender, an old classmate from school. Plender plays the affectionate fool at first, but it soon becomes clear he is not all he seems. Haunted by events from his past, Plender is seeking vengeance on those who wronged him or his now-deceased mother. This includes Vincent, who unwittingly subjected Plender to a horrendous ordeal when a childhood prank went wrong. Plender, using Sofia to seduce his targets, is blackmailing and systematically destroying them; that is, until Vincent fights back.
On the run from the law, and desperate to protect his family, Vincent’s only hope is to confront Plender with his own twisted mind games…
Part of a wave of modern French thrillers, The Serpent is a tense, psychological tale where Barbier has brilliantly transferred Ted Lewis’ British story to a French setting. The confident direction superbly captures the cold, stark environments for maximum visual impact and atmosphere.
Although unconventional, the music by Renaud Barbier perfectly compliments the dark subject matter, heightening the tension in the story by using sparse, piano-driven melodies, and incorporating unusual sounds to create an unsettling feel. For example, one sound appeared to resemble shattering glass, which reflected Vincent’s world breaking apart around him.
The performances are excellent, supported by a strong script. Clovis Cornillac is a terrifying screen presence. Imposing and sinister, he turns Plender into a brutally efficient psychopath, but still allows for moments of sympathy and pity for the torment his character has suffered. Barbier’s direction adds to the portrayal, allowing us to see his eyes at certain emotive moments, while at others lighting him from above so his face and eyes are shadowed, to intimidating effect.
As with Francois Cluzet in Tell No One, Yvan Attal plays the honest everyman brilliantly, and is the film’s greatest feature. His character’s growing desperation and resolve to fight back are translated through a powerful performance, while the reality of his emotional journey and his conviction mean the film’s brief moment of fantastical action does not upset its tone, and remains grounded in a believable reality. Some of the best scenes in the film, however, are when Attal shares the screen with veteran actor Pierre Richard, who plays one of Plender’s other victims, while Simon Abkarian also provides strong support as Vincent’s lawyer.
Olga Kurylenko, known to most audiences for her role in the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, is magnificent in bringing emotional depth and fragility to her character, despite the limited screen time. Her character’s past and personality could have been elaborated on to great interest, but this may have distracted from the central storyline. Nonetheless, she is a wonderful presence, and her performance, like Attal’s, allows for the action to retain a sense of reality that another performer may not have transferred.
The Special Features that accompany the DVD include a trailer and a half-hour ‘making of’ documentary. The latter is of only passing interest, as most of the running time is made up of clips from the film. Far better are three short interviews, with Kurylenko and director Barbier giving some interesting insights into the filming process and their intentions.
While the film does not reach the cinematic heights of Tell No One, The Serpent is nonetheless a compelling watch. An excellent cast, director and script unite to create a suspenseful psychological thriller that maintains it tension and emotion throughout. CD
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