Non-mainstream film report: Roman de Gare

[Lydia Leftcoast]

This French film, whose title means "Novel of a Train Station," has nothing to do with trains, but it takes a while to figure out exactly what it's about. You have three scenarios at the beginning:

A best-selling author is being interviewed on a talk show.

A serial killer has escaped from prison, a pedophile who entraps children by performing magic tricks for them

A teacher disappears, abandoning his job and his family.

With these scenarios established, we cut to a quarreling engaged couple driving down the freeway. When they stop at a rest stop, the man drives off, abandoning his fiancee. The couple had been on their way to meet the woman's parents.

Whem it is clear that the man is not coming back, a mousy little man, whom we have just seen doing magic tricks, offers the woman a ride. She talks him into pretending to be her fiance so that she won't have to admit the truth to her parents.

So who is the man? Is he the serial killer? The missing teacher? Or something entirely different?

This is an entertaining film of misdirection and deception, not at all violent or frightening.

It is a prime example of why I like foreign films: They tell stories that I haven't seen before.

[Ian David]

1. This is actually a VERY old story.

Joseph Campbell calls it "The Arch-type of the pedophile magician."




Actually, no...


This sounds pretty unique.

[Justitia]

2. Thanks! I recently added this one to my Netflix queue, glad to see someone likes it.

I love French film.