Andr? Dussollier, André Dussollier, Charlotte Gainsbourg

Alain Getty, a brilliant young home automation engineer, and his wife Benedicte having recently arrived in a new town, invite Alain's boss Richard Pollock and his wife Alice to dinner. The encounter d...( read more  read more... )oes not leave the young couple's harmony unscathed. The discovery of a mysterious rodent's corpse blocking the waste pipe of their kitchen sink does nothing to help and portends the bursting of irrationality into a hitherto orderly life.

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53% liked it

6,512 ratings

Critics

70% liked it

47 critics

Unrated, 2 hrs. 9 min.

Directed by: Dominik Moll

Release Date: May 19, 2006

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DVD Release Date: August 15, 2006

Stats: 222 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (222)


  • September 1, 2009
    Lemming is handsomely acted by 3/4ths of its principal cast and never dull by any means, but the sum of these parts sort of falls short. The movie could have ended at the 45-minute mark and I wouldn't have missed anything, save a hokey dash of the supernatural and an excruciating...( read more) protraction of an already hamfisted metaphor. I turned the movie off not feeling too satisfied.

    Lemming is pervaded with characters making illogical choices in interaction. When someone in a film acts strangely, I enjoy trying to figure out why with the information a viewer has that the other person in the dialogue may not; it's an interesting dramatic technique that helps you get behind both the characters and their actions. Unfortunately, this happens all the time in Lemming but the motives are never really clear. It felt like the characters were being obtuse for the sake of keeping each other in the dark and manufacturing misunderstandings, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. Learn how to communicate like the normal people you supposedly are and maybe this shit won't happen to you! I really had a lot of trouble sympathizing with the characters because of this, but the strong portrayals sort of recoup lost ground here. Charlotte Gainsbourg is a great fit in her part - I always enjoy seeing her in movies because she's clement and effortless, much like her even-tempered Benedicte here. Laurent Lucas, who I definitely don't remember from Who Killed Bambi (not that I remember much about that movie), is also surprisingly effective. He radiates a sort of loyal intensity, a quality that makes you believe in his devotion to his wife even when the script isn't really. Charlotte Rampling's screen time is brief but she is an imposing specter, lingering through the movie. Seeing the effects that radiate from her presence is the most interesting part of a movie that usually just dead-ends itself. The only weak link here is Andre Dussollier, whose IMDB page suggests that he's one of those prolific character actors that just don't really give a shit. His one mode of expression here would corroborate this, but as he's the least important character in the movie, I guess things could be worse.

    I wasn't particularly expecting much from the movie, and that's just about what I got. I put it on my Netflix queue because I am quite fond of both of the Charlottes and wanted to see how they would fare in a thriller. The answer: they are disserviced by their material. Entertaining but sort of watery, Lemming's content probably doesn't justify its run time, unless you are really looking to kill two hours.
  • July 9, 2008
    A gripping, underrated, French thriller.
    I thoroughly enjoyed Lemming, it never lost my attention. The story is twisted and surreal, at times a little too weird but makes it more engaging. The cast is wonderful. Charlotte Gainsbourg is a very talented actress and deserves more r...( read more)ecognition; all the other leads Charlotte Rampling, Laurent Lucas and André Dussollier are more than competent.
    Nice usage of the Mamas and Papas, 'Dream a little dream of me' at the end, added a great effect to the film.
    Lemming is an interesting, fresh and stylish film which definitely deserved more attention than it received.
  • November 18, 2008
    Really bad movie and didn't make sense.
  • June 23, 2008
    I simply can't understand why this movie is so underrated and unpopular. Lemming are in many ways similar to David Lynch's masterpieces - slowpaced, mysterious and incredible suspenseful. The story will be recognized by Lynch-fans as well, starting off with truly happy characters...( read more) that later experience big psychological problems. There is also a feeling for details which makes the movie beautiful. Amazing performances from, among others, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Charlotte Rampling. I will definately look up Dominik Moll's earlier works and I truly hope he gets a chance to create more.
  • March 29, 2008
    Brilliant film, especially Charlotte Rampling and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
  • November 1, 2009
    Engaging thriller with Laurent Lucas and Charlotte Gainsbourg as the main protagonists.
    After the suicide of the boss's wife in their home, bizarre things begin to happen to the newlyweds, Benedicte and Alain. It seems that during the suicide, somekind of transmigration took pla...( read more)ce, the soul of Alice Pollock, "found a new home" in Benedicte. Seems a little stupid, but it works, the movie was entertaining, and managed to keep my interest. The acting helped a lot though, especially Lucas who was really good.
    One thing I didn't like, the ending. Geting away with murder,I don't know about that...
  • September 14, 2009
    It's slightly weird, it draws you in.
  • May 31, 2009
    It's really a good movie,one of my favorites,the dosage and acceleration of tension seemed to me almost perfect during the film and the idea of using 'lemmings' into a film such in that way is really wisely.I'm not usually satisfied with the ends of movies and so with this,but it...( read more)'s ok anyway.
  • March 28, 2009
    this French 'thriller' is a wasted opportunity!
  • February 24, 2009
    BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHHAHA!!!!

Critic Reviews


August 4, 2006
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Dominik Moll's masterfully cast psychological thriller Lemming crackles with tension; its story keeps going off to unexpected places as we watch breathlessly, unable to look away. full review

May 27, 2006
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Dominik Moll imbues the first half of his thriller with inklings of strangeness that are at once sinister and quietly comical. But there is, in the end, less to this film than meets the eye.

View more Lemming reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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