Audrey Tautou cunningly avoids Meg Ryan-style typecasting in her first major role since captivating audiences in Amelie, by providing this dark romantic thriller with a rich performance that is a striking turnabout from the quirky charms of her crossover hit.
As the single-minded, fanatically devoted, yet charmingly wily Angelique, Tautou is a refreshing and genuinely unnerving alternative to the wide-eyed harpie seen in the likes of Fatal Attraction.
While she provides a strong anchor, it's Colombani's effective splitting of viewpoints (Angelique's, then Loic's) that magnificently underlines the vastly opposing sides of this love story while maintaining our sympathies.
It particularly pays off in the suspenseful second half, when the most innocent of actions lead to devastating results, and what was apparently casual becomes deeply manipulative. An accomplished debut and a well-executed glimpse of obsessive romance.