Subtitles:

English (SDH), none

Extras:

A writer stranded in Paris falls into a strange relationship with a mysterious woman in this drama from writer and director Pawel Pawlikowski. Tom Ricks (Ethan Hawke) is an American novelist who has been wrestling with writers' block since the publication of his first book. Tom is married to Nathalie (Delphine Chuillot) but their relationship has taken a turn for the worse, and when she goes home to France with their daughter Chloe (Julie Papillon) in tow, Tom flies out in hopes of reconciling with her. However, Tom is robbed shortly after arriving, and is stuck with no money and nowhere to go. Tom is befriended by Sezer (Samir Guesmi), who gives him a job as a night watchman and a room in a cheap hotel, but for all his generosity, Tom isn't sure he trusts his benefactor. Tom meets Margit (Kristin Scott Thomas), a beautiful woman with a literary bent, and ends up spending the night with her. But what begins as a passing fling takes on a more sinister cast as Margit sends Tom through a series of increasingly bizarre experiences in the interest of reawakening his muse. La Femme du 5e (aka The Woman In The Fifth) received its North American debut at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

Ethan Hawke is perfectly cast as Tom, delivering a finely balanced, edgy performance that we can't help liking, even though – as evidenced by Nathalie's obvious fear of him – we quickly understand that his point of view might not be entirely reliable. Kristin Scott Thomas is equally good as Margit, though her enigmatic nature means that there's very little to her character other than surface slinkiness (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Gary Tooze

June 12th, 2012