DOUBLE LOVER (L’AMANT DOUBLE) (2018)

Written & Directed by François Ozon



Where & When:  Laemmle Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena. CA. February 20, 2018  1:30 PM



Since 1988, France's François Ozon has had a long history of creating films with intricate stories that upend convention with a nervy wit and, more often than not, erotically-charged situations. His last feature, "Frantz", a beautifully rendered black & white, World War I set mystery, was an unexpected change of pace for the film maker with it's surprising tasteful restraint and unhurried pace. But with "Double Lover (L'amant Double)", Ozon appears like he was ready to get down and dirty again. This carnal thriller is reminiscent of his early days with work that featured controversial subject-matter and wildly provocative imagery. And while there is a higher level of precision and style, the film offers a kinky love story that delivers plenty of steamy atmosphere yet very little real heat.

Marine Vacth (a model who first worked with Ozon on his 2013 feature, "Young & Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie)") plays a young woman named Chloé who has been suffering from abdominal pain for a long period of time. After seeing a gynecologist, it's determined that it may be psychological. Chloé is referred to a therapist, Paul Mayer (Jérémie Renier, another actor who has appeared previously in the director's films including "Potiche" from 2010) and their sessions lead to her finding relief from her physical pain by exposing her emotional distress. And while hardly a professional or ethical move, Paul confesses he has fallen in love with her and she admits that she's become smitten with him. They soon move in together and fall comfortably in to domestic bliss.

The relationship takes a sharp turn when Chloé sees Paul on the street with another woman when he said he was going to work. She confronts him later but he claims it wasn't him and she's mistaken. Unwilling to accept this answer, Chloé decides to investigate and returns to the location. She discovers a man named Louis Delord who looks exactly like Paul and is also a psychoanalyst. But this man's behavior is antagonistic and a bit sadistic which she finds repulsive yet also draws her closer to him. As she further investigates Paul's mysterious past and the connection between these two men, Chloé begins to slowly unravel, questioning what is real and what is just her imagination.

What began as a story of a fragile young woman who finds intimacy and trust from a devoted lover turns in to a twisted nightmare of lust and deception through the mirror image of the same man. Ozon knows how to keep the tension on high throughout "Double Lover", leaving us off-balanced, confused and aroused as Chloé. Delighted to push the boundaries of taste and sexuality, the director doesn't fail to do that here. That includes a close-up of an open vulva artfully dissolving in to an eye and a rough encounter with a strap-on dildo. Although Ozon has crafted a titillating drama enhanced by the exquisite camera work by Manuel Dacosse, some of the narrative can feel strained while the conclusion is slightly unclear which isn't the most effective way to wrap up a mystery.

The incendiary connection between our two very attractive leads is thrilling to behold. As we watch her character's grip on reality loosen and her erotic fantasies become more vivid, Ms Vacth's performance is riveting. Mr Renier, in dual roles, is equally adept in playing the sensitive lover as he is in displaying the darker side of the other. And the wonderful Jacqueline Bisset makes a welcome appearance with a brief yet effective cameo as a mysterious woman who may have the answer to the mystery surrounding the two therapists. Much like he did for Charlotte Rampling when he placed her with lead roles in his features, "Under The Sand" and "Swimming Pool" that helped revitalize her career, Mr. Ozon should provide that same opportunity for the undervalued Ms Bisset.

While the Time's Up movement has rolled up to the European shores, they have expressed a different opinion on what is considered sexual harassment and harmless flirting. Some of the aggressive acts of seduction between Chloé and the bad twin could be dismissed as decidedly "French". Still, others may view these scenes as disturbing and off-putting but that only adds to the unsettling mood the director has created.

With “Double Lover”, Mr. Ozon was aiming for the sophistication and intrigue of a Hitchcock thriller. And there are moments that are dazzlingly sleek and seductive yet the film tends to share more in common with an overheated homage by DePalma.