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The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

Careless Love

Sidestepping a more extreme take on prostitution, this is a quietly impressive portrait of a young woman caught in a tragic situation.

Empire Of Silver

Its backdrop is a rich and fascinating one, but the film is let down by a screenplay and direction that fails to register on a personal level.

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Anything For Her (Film)

by Julian Shaw | November 02, 2010 10:12 | Edited November 02, 2010 10:13

For those able to suspend disbelief, this skillfully directed and finely acted thriller is hugely entertaining.

Everyman schoolteacher, Julien (Vincent Lindon), and his lovely wife, Lisa (Diane Kruger), are doting parents, leading a tranquil Parisian life. But when police burst in on the family and uncover a bloodstained shirt, they have Lisa up for murder. Cut to a heavyweight bludgeoning by the courts and a prolonged jail sentence being handed out, which will see Lisa rotting in prison for upwards of twenty years. After appeals fall flat, the formerly docile Julien decides that he must break his wrongly accused wife out of the slammer single-handedly.

 

Is this transformation from mouse to lion believable? Well, no. It's an almighty strain on the film's credulity. But suspension of disbelief is not an uncommon prerequisite for the thriller genre, and if you can somehow manage to parse the plotline, then you're in for a fun and kinetic journey that's as pumped up as any that we've seen on screen this year.

 

Anything For Her also features a nicely layered critique of the judicial system, as Julien must turn to shady bookmakers, crims and arms dealers to achieve true justice. Lindon carries the film on his broad shoulders ably, and his work helps us believe the transmogrification from timid teacher to hell bent avenger. Diane Kruger drops her glamour tag, but beyond the dressing down, she's in tough, fine touch in her limited time on screen.

 

Yes, there are coincidences in the plot that will continually dissipate tension for some viewers, and despite its grey eyed seriousness, there is a fatuous whiff about the whole concept that lingers long into the last act. But precise direction, sharp visuals, and fine performances paper across these cracks to create a relentlessly entertaining picture. For a film with only one real goal - to be an excitement machine - you can't ask for too much more.