Read My Lips (Sur mes lèvres) (2001)
Medium level violence, medium level coarse language
Deaf secretary Carla (Emmanuelle Devos) is bullied by her mean spirited male colleagues. When they suggest she needs an assistant it seems like the final insult, but, when the first applicant is ex-con Paul (Vincent Cassel) she seizes the chance to change her life. Carla covers his mistakes and he, anxious to go straight, reluctantly helps her take revenge on her colleagues.
When Paul asks Carla to return the favour, she finds herself drawn into the criminal underworld, ruled by ruthless loan shark Marchand (Olivier Gourmet). Recognising her ability to lip-read as a weapon no one will have bargained for, the two set out to see justice done. French filmmaker Jacques Audiard's third feature Read My Lips is a genre-defying piece, switching from dark social comedy to visceral full-throttle thriller.
| Status: | LongWait |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 120mins |
| Origin: | FRANCE |
| Aspect Ratio: | 1.85:1 16:9 Enhanced |
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Member Reviews (38)
38 Member
Reviews
The Pict
says
Entertaining movie with a very original script.
E..
says
French movie with English subtitles; surround system option available. Good, original storyline, not predictable and well balanced; good acting, believable characters. something different, worth a look.
Le goret
says
Very good. Made me think of this Hitchcock movie in which the main character is blind. Excellent acting.
tania
says
very good art house.
Tasch
says
Another one i really enjoyed. Very likable and believable characters.
William C
says
Hard to summarise but the perspective of a deaf hero who uses hearing deficit to great dramatic efffect works very well.
Tanner1
says
A very clever and quite gripping thriller/romance, with dysfunctional leading characters who had their rough edges and social disabilities but ended up being very appealling. I loved the way the relevance of the title became increasingly significant as the film proceeded. A very satisfying movie experience.
Jack
says
What an entertaining surprise packet of intrigue, suspense and unusual romance--very original to say the least! Life seems to have passed by Carla, a self-effacing spinster and property development secretary. However, beneath the surface of near deaf Carla, lies a woman of grit awaiting release. She and roguish Paul, an ex-con, are two misfits that unexpectedly are thrown together and unpredictably click, feeding off each other to realise their untapped potentials. As this happens she and Paul are thrust into an underworld of crime, betrayals, assaults and murder. There’s delight for viewers who can to tap into their pure joy at discovering their mutual connectedness, a result of their cooperative, audacious and highly risky actions. Four and a half stars.
John N.
says
She's the boss in the office, but he's the boss when it comes to criminal activity. The coming together of this odd pair of complete opposites, the smart criminal and the unworldly girl shrunk into her own shell of disability, makes watching this movie particularly rewarding.
John M.
says
Even though this movie was not our cup of tea it was good. It is not every day one sees a director delibrately showing the endurance suffered by a handicapped person but at the same time showing the attempts at criminal reformation not only fail but at the same time seek to manipulate the innocent for purpose of revenge.
Very good movie with a very surprising end.
Audrey F.
says
Very good.
Helen M.
says
hardly a thriller
algatto
says
Brilliantly written, directed and acted. A very original plot involving the strange relationship that develops between a hearing-impaired office worker and an ex-con who is sent by an employment agency to fill an office assistant's job. For lovers of good sound engineering in film, this is certainly for you. Great French cinema!
Trevor H.
says
Derek
says
The heroine was exploited at work but then did she allow herself to be? Even
her friends used and exploited her. It was not until she met a fairly hopeless
case that she really did something about her appearance and stood up for
herself. There were several tense moments in the film but lots of gaps and
implausibilities. An interesting pair but not a great movie.
Peter F.
says
A gripping thriller.
David P.
says
Kylie
says
Luis S.
says
Helene C.
says
Entertaining, thrilling, good suspense, a well balance story well acted.
Peter R.
says
A fine story well told by an excellent cast and director.
SandG
says
Well acted, unglamourous actors , interesting plot. Characters had depth of character, never sure how the relationship would pan out.
Harry B.
says
filmasart
says
I loved this uncanny film on relationships involving trust, risk taking and self respect. An atmospheric experience.
David S.
says
Another slightly implausible yet gripping, well made film from France. Emmanuelle Devos fails in her attempt to look homely, in spite of the constant disparaging comments about her character in the script. She got a French film award for the role ahead of the star of Amelie. There is plenty to enjoy in this movie. It is not predictable. The characters are engaging and the direction is innovative. You won't be disappointed.
Brian Graham
says
After a promising beginning, this movie descends into a mish-mash of complicated, tedious and illogical sub-plots. Very confusing, and a missed opportunity.
Mussy
says
Annie Kiddell
says
A better than average thriller with great performances from the two leads.
Mark Griffin
says
Nanou Morgan
says
David Keane
says
Great acting by both stars. Interesting storyline and fantastic ending to a very close to breaking point sexual tension.
Patrick Durel
says
Good cast. Vincent Cassel is very good as usual and so is Emmanuelle Devos. The plot is excellent and dialogues very witty. Not to be missed! One the best French movies released recently
Nigel Rose
says
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Barrie Beet
says
Good plot and storyline but a little slow at times.Worth a look.
Marie Meier
says
Typically brilliant French movie with a great cast and a really different twist at the end.
Igor Husak
says