Estelle’s (Diane Kruger) life is in order. Captain, she is as precise in her cockpit as when she makes a smoothie, goes for a run or adjusts the air conditioning in her luxurious home on the Côte d’Azur.
By chance, at the airport she meets Anna (Marta Nieto), a woman with whom she had a great passion 20 years ago. From this moment on, the iron control she exercises over her existence gradually weakens. As Anna’s influence increases, the premonitions that haunt the pilot intensify and have the effect of plunging her into a paranoid delirium. Everything becomes a threat, including her husband (Mathieu Kassovitz).
Director Yann Gozlan (Black Box, An Ideal Man), who is also a co-writer, has built his thriller on good foundations. Thanks to short scenes, we immediately understand that the rigors of such a demanding profession require a discipline that affects all aspects of daily life. Estelle’s pace of life is intense, but appears “normal” to us in the circumstances. We also easily imagine that an unforeseen disruption can cause a cascade of disastrous consequences, like in an airplane.
Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds, Out of Nowhere) plays the role to perfection. We believe as much in the strength of its balance as in its fragility. His fall is fascinating, because his desire for liberation is legitimate. Although on the surface, she has everything to be happy, we sympathize with her heartbreak since she allows herself emotions that she had put aside for years. The power of the attraction between her and Anna is also well evoked, always more suggested than shown.
Where the story goes wrong is when its visions do the same. At a certain point, we no longer know if they are dreams or fabrications of his mind. In addition, the chronology becomes blurred, which has the effect of adding to the confusion. The objective was undoubtedly to place us in Estelle’s head, but Diane Kruger’s performance was quite sufficient to feel the growing distress of her character.
The production is also somewhat conventional in relation to the desired effect. Philippe Rombi’s music is also rather sober. There is tension, certainly, but nothing very worrying.
Curiosity pushes us to continue our viewing. The ending tries to amaze us, but is not as great as it claims to be.
