The film is based upon a book by Harlan Coben, and if you’ve read any of his novels, you know he writes fast paced thrillers that seem realistic even though there is more than a touch of James Bond in them.  

Alex (Francois Cluzet) and Margot (Marie-Josee Croze), a married couple very much in love since the days when they were children, enjoy a nude swimming session in a secluded lake. Margot returns to shore after they argue. Soon after she disappears from sight, Alex hears her screams as she’s attacked. He swims ashore and is knocked unconscious when he tries to come to her rescue.

Although Alex was a key suspect in her murder at the time, he’s off the hook until some new evidence comes to light eight years later. Add to that, Alex receives emails and video clips, suggesting that Margot is alive, and a labyrinthine puzzle begins to emerge. The mystery is eventually solved but with a host of twists and turns that never fails to entertain. 

We see the non-tourist side of Paris, in addition to a number of people from different races and classes. Everything, everyone, has some meaning, and often in ways that will surprise you. There are plenty of opportunities for cliché moments yet the film never takes the bait.  

Just when you think you have something figured out, you learn there is another layer. A fine supporting cast, which has unusual depth, Cluzet and Croze capture the chemistry that we saw in Cache with well known French actors Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche. 

Thrillers don’t get much better than this. While the story is complex and fast moving, you never have trouble figuring this out, even if you are one step behind. You wonder and you soon get an answer.