The Page Turner has a Patricia Highsmith-esque quality about it that makes what is a remarkably banal plot into a devious, delicious French thriller. Take the nature of the slight that results in the ensuing revenge story. A preteen girl, Melanie, fails a major musical examination when one of the judges, a professional pianist, signs an autograph in the middle of the girl’s session. The intrusion distracts the girl, making her lose her place, and ending her young career as a pianist.

Flash forward some eight years later. Melanie (Déborah François), now a young woman, takes an internship with a prestigious Parisian law firm. One of the lawyers is married to Ariane (Catherine Frot), the pianist who meet with a fan during Melanie’s audition. Melanie’s internship ends with the law firm, but she volunteers to watch the lawyer’s child while he is away and while Ariane prepares for a comeback concert. When Melanie gains Ariane’s trust and becomes her page turner, she holds Ariane’s career and life in her hands.

Gaining trust is one thing, but having Ariane believe in a love affair is another. The seduction is where Melanie’s truly conniving nature comes out and also where François truly shines. Her controlled meticulous performance gives the plot the measured suspense of the slow motion dropping of a guillotine.

The Page Tuner has the added bonus of being a mere 81 minutes in length, meaning the tangents, regressions and plot twists we’re so used to with Hollywood thrillers are absent. Though the film still doesn’t pack a punch to the gut like a Talented Mr. Ripley or Ripley’s Game, it does make me believe that Melanie has the quality to become a Tom Ripley.

I would love to see how she develops as a character beyond The Page Turner, though the likelihood of that happening is very small. Director Denis Dercourt proves with his calm, determined direction that he may have bigger fish to fry than making a sequel to his debut thriller. Regardless of if we see a second film, The Page Turner as a stand alone psychological thriller is worth delving into.

DVD Special Features:

• English and Spanish Subtitles
• Making of Featurette
• Original Theatrical Trailer