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Review

If you find yourself nostalgic for the days of the old school psychological thriller where a battle of wits is much creepier than buckets of blood, The Page Turner is the film for you. Mélanie, a quiet butcher’s daughter, is blessed with an uncanny ability to play the piano. At the age of ten she shows enormous potential, and her life seems to revolve around her music. But then she fails the conservatory entrance exam when distracted by the arrogant president of the jury, Ariane Fouchécourt, who indulges an autograph-seeker in the middle of Mélanie’s audition. Devastated, Mélanie quits the piano for good. Ten years later, as shy as ever despite having blossomed into a beautiful young woman, Mélanie takes a job in the Fouchécourt home as a nanny. She patiently gains Ariane’s full trust and begins to serve as her page turner, all the while carefully planning her revenge. Slowly but surely, Mélanie begins to set psychological traps for the family members in a plot to tear them apart. Dripping with lesbian overtones and creepy atmosphere, this smart, concise film evokes the eeriness of Clouzot and the class of Hitchcock. (French with English subtitles)

 -- Michael Lerman