READ MY LIPS aka SUR MES LEVRES

Year: 2001
UK: Pathe Distribution
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Devos, Olivier Gourmet, Olivier Perrier, Olivia Bonamy, Bernard Alane, Cecile Samie, David Saracino, Christophe Vandevelde, Pieree Diot, Serge Boutleroff
Director: Jacques Audiard
Country: France
Language: French (English subtitles)
UK: 119 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains some strong language and moderate violence
UK Release Date: 24 May 2002

Synopsis

Hard working Carla Behm (Emmanuelle Devos) is a plain-looking 35 year old secretary for a property development firm. Always first to arrive in the morning and last to leave at night, Carla does all the company's grunt work, yet is roundly unappreciated by her bosses who often mock her behind her back. She longs to move forward in both her career and personal life, but, encumbered by a hearing impediment she is unsure how to do so.

When her ever-increasing workload leads to a fainting spell, Carla is permitted an assistant, an opportunity which she views as an ideal way to finally meet a man. Specifying 'nice hands' as a must-have attribute in her new trainee, Carla interviews and quickly employs the shaky candidate Paul Angeli (Vincent Cassel), an unskilled but good-looking thief in his mid-twenties who is fresh out of jail.

Paul owes his job to Carla, who at first treats her new recruit a little like the others in the office treat her. She manipulates him into helping her commit a crime to further her career, while ignoring the sexual undercurrent of their relationship.

Meanwhile, Paul has not completely cut his connections to the criminal underworld. After discovering a bag of loot that's ripe for the stealing, he realises that he cannot pull off the crime without the help of Carla and her lip-reading skills. Through the shared goal of the robbery, Paul and Carla take their relationship to a new level where they develop a deep compatibility, and each are able to find a true potential that neither could have achieved alone.

As the saying goes, "It takes two to tango." She teaches him good manners and he teaches her bad ones. The first results are instantly encouraging...

Cleverly shot using tension-building hand-held camera work, Audiard poignantly explores the characters shifting relationship and themes of love, power and loneliness to create a truly unique and emotionally powerful film. Read My Lips has won three Cesar Awards, including Best Actress for Emmanuelle Devos' riveting performance.

DVD EXTRAS

Certificate: 15
Feature Running Time: 113 minutes
Language: French
Subtitles: English
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (16 x 9)
Sound Quality: 5.1 Surround
Special Features: Theatrical trailer