The Big Picture: DVD Review
The Big Picture
Rating: M
Released by Vendetta Films
Who would have thought a bottle of Cloudy Bay wine would cause so
much trouble?
Current French heartthrob Romain Duris stars as Paul Exben, a
successful partner in a French law firm; he has it all - a lovely
wife, two young children, and is about to take over the firm when
its founder (Catherine Deneuve) reveals she's dying.
But when Exben finds out his wife is having an affair with his
photographer friend Greg Kremer, (after the discovery of a shared
love of a New Zealand bottle of wine) a confrontation ensues and
Greg is accidentally killed.
Exben flees - after disposing of the body and faking his own death
- but he finds despite relocating and taking a job while posing as
Greg, the noose is tightening around him.
The Big Picture is based on a book by Douglas Kennedy - and as was
pointed out to me, doesn't follow the same narrative. While the
wine reference is consistent, there's a change in other details and
tone; the film version feels like a thriller whereas the source
material is more black comedy.
However, Duris is impressive as Exben - he begins the film a cocky
character all holding his head high; then after the shock of the
death, he becomes a swarthy, huddled character who is covered in
stubble and physically transformed.
While Duris is good, he can't really escape the plodding direction
of the film - in many ways, it feels like two disparate films. The
first is a suspense thriller as Exben finds out and the second part
sees him trying to find himself. They don't quite gel
The Big Picture is a muddled film, which feels overly long and
disappoints. It's a shame because with such a screen presence as
Duris projects, it could have been much much more.
Rating: 5/10
