Anything For Her

Anything For Her, the latest in the wave of French Hitchcockian thrillers, continues Hitch’s MO of the innocent (wo)man on the run. Though this time, there’s not much running. The film begins with Vincent Lindon (Julien) throwing an injured person on to the back seat of his car before driving off at speed into the murky raining night. Next we go back in time to see Lisa, Julien’s wife (played by Diane Kruger), being arrested and sent down for murder. An intriguing start. Then, when all legal outlets fail, Julien decides to break her out of prison. So settle back for a roller coaster ride of nail-biting twists and tension? Well, not quite. What follows next is fairly mundane as we follow Julien in his attempts to formulate a plan for the springing of Lisa. Director/Writer Fred Cavaye has stated that the idea of the film is to show how the normal person on the street would approach such a situation, i.e. without a clue. Though Cavaye succeeds in doing this, it doesn’t make for a riveting middle section of the film. There is also the point of whether Lisa is innocent or not. Though there may be some room for ambiguity, it appears fairly clear cut if she has committed the crime or not. As we are shown this fairly early in the film it takes away a good deal of intrigue. This isn’t to say there is nothing to enjoy though, as the acting of the main cast is superb (apart from the Julien’s/Lisa’s child. Stop looking at the director for instructions kid!). Both Lindon and Kruger’s portrayal of their characters ever despairing situations, as well as their actual relationship, is very believable. It’s clear that Julien really would do Anything For Her. Also, the relationship between Julien and his parents is extremely will handled, and is shown through sparse dialogue and subtle looks rather than a sign-posted screenplay. The pace finally picks up for the films denouement, and we at last find our pulses racing as Julien finally executes his plan. Overall, you’ll be left with mixed emotions. With a strong opening and ending, the slow middle section sticks out like a chisel in a sponge cake (no, not the escape plan)

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
More a drama than the advertised thriller, but strong acting and an unusual approach to the jailbreak genre just about holds the attention.
Rating: 6/10.