Chanson douce

Screen adaptations of novels can be hit and miss and I'm afraid this one is firmly in the 'miss' category for me. It's extremely slow, fails to build any kind of suspense or tension, and I frankly didn't care for any of the characters or their fate, including the two children, as harsh as that may sound.

The ending is rather predictable too and lacks the shock factor the director would have hoped to achieve. Perhaps the only positive is the acting - Karin Viard puts in a good performance as main character Louise and at least makes the film watchable.

All-in-all, another disappointing and unnecessary screen adaptation of a popular thriller novel.

Perfect Nanny is a good depiction of the distant relationships in our society. We can see a monster evolving gradually but the story subtly make an emphasis on the negligence of the parents. How they fail to understand the true warning signs and how they allow the boundaries to be breached. This sensitive premise was well narrated with the excellent performances by the cast. Karin Viard's performance was exceptional, a smile that's quickly turning to creepy grin, a stare that's too long and disturbing biting scenes draw a perfect image of the real horror that awaits. Visuals including the surroundings are perfectly fitting. Busy streets Myriam dissapears into may suggest her role in the chaos as well. Excellent special effects as well. Perfect Nanny is a perfect horror story that's both disturbing and alarming.

Whilst the acting is good the storyline isn't and really it's all rather pointless right up to the rather twisted ending. It's a story that's been told before and better in films like The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.

I can't recommend it I'm afraid.

This French feature is definitely not a crime drama; THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADDLE, back in 1992, starring Rebecca De Mornay, another evil nanny tale, WAS a thriller, with criminal elements. Here, you have nothing of the sort, only a pure depressing drama, showing a Karine Viard at her very best. That's only a shame that her character is not more deeply explained, many holes on this matter, but maybe that was a decision of the producers ad writers, to enhance the mystery behind her role. Karine Viard is the very highlight of this movie. She is not Jessica Walter in PLAY MISTY FOR ME, though the topic of this first Clint Eastwood's film was not the same at all. It was also question of a f...twisted mind gal. The scene at her home with the octopus was certainly inspired by a sequence from Jean Pierre Melville's LE CERCLE ROUGE. Remember Yves Montand, drunk, alone in his home...

Not bad, but a bit long-winded. And certainly not a Crime, but a serious Drama.