Ne le Dis à Personne (Tell No One) (2006)

93% of critics liked it
(106 reviews)
86% of users liked it
(31,201 ratings)

An innocent man is on the run after he's accused of murder and his spouse seemingly returns from the grave in this thriller from France. Alex Beck (François Cluzet) is a doctor who has slowly been putting his life back together after his wife Margot was murdered by a serial killer. Eight years on,… More An innocent man is on the run after he's accused of murder and his spouse seemingly returns from the grave in this thriller from France. Alex Beck (François Cluzet) is a doctor who has slowly been putting his life back together after his wife Margot was murdered by a serial killer. Eight years on, Alex is doing well enough until he finds himself implicated in the murder of two people, with plenty of evidence pointing to him as the killer even though he knows nothing of the crimes. The same day, Alex receives an e-mail that appears to be from Margot (Marie-Josée Croze), which includes a link to a video clip that seems to be recent and features his late wife looking alive and well. Margot's message warns Alex that they are both being watched, and he struggles to stay one step ahead of the law as a gang of strong-arm men intimidate Alex's friends into telling whatever they might know about him. Alex's sister Anne (Marina Hands) persuades her well-to-do lover Helene (Kristin Scott Thomas) to hire a well respected attorney, Elisabeth Feldman (Nathalie Baye), to handle Alex's case. While Elisabeth tries to keep Alex out of jail, she learns that her client has a warrant out for his arrest, and Alex goes on the lam while he and his lawyer struggle to find out the truth about the murder as well as Margot's reappearance. Tell No One (aka Ne Le Dis a Personne) was based on the international best-selling novel by Harlan Coben. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 6 min.
Directed By: Guillaume Canet
Written By: Guillaume Canet, Philippe Lefebvre
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Nov 1, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Mar 31, 2009
Studio: Music Box Films

Critic Reviews

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Canet has a good feeling for lowlife atmosphere and he works up a few fine Hitchcockian twirls.
Susan Walker, Toronto Star
Tell No One is a thoroughly absorbing whodunit with more twists and switchbacks than the Le Mans racecourse.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
A whodunit so nicely crafted that you're tempted to forgive the Byzantine plot -- hell, you're even tempted to pretend you actually understand its twisting obscurities.
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
Tell No One is a French action thriller and murder mystery that doesn't cheat.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
These classy people are put to the trashiest ends, and, for the most part, it's a pleasure to see them rooting around in the garbage.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Tell No One is a classic modern-Hollywood thriller, a movie with a layered murder mystery, a frame-up, gangsters, conspiracies and one dazzling chase.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
Until an exposition flood so mammoth it has cresting waves, "Tell No One" is as eloquent as it is intricate - a superior depiction of crime, corruption, shame and secrecy. A French-language "Fugitive" with wind-sprint intensity and immediacy.
Matt Soergel, Florida Times-Union
This twisty yarn is meant to leave you as discombobulated as its hero, an innocent man on the run from cops, thugs and killers. Hitchcock would have liked seeing him squirm.
Leo Goldsmith, indieWIRE
Canet has covered his bases with enough swooping camerawork, narrative smoke-and-mirrors, and quick-sketched supporting characters for a dozen thrillers
Craig Phillips, GreenCine
Tell No One has shades of Hitchcock's Vertigo -- and not to its detriment. [An] extremely gripping and fascinating suspense film.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
Watch The Fugitive and Tell No One and you'll get a pretty good sense of what separates French filmmaking from Hollywood.
Tony Macklin, tonymacklin.net
Tell No One is the sum of its engrossing characters and brilliant actors. They may not always add up, but they are a formidable equation. Tell No One is a memorable thriller -- a potent experience in a universal film genre.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
An over-plotted, two-hour crime caper offering those blessed with patience a denouement well worth the wait."
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
Initially complex, the piece's grip loosens with the introduction of a transparent villain, but it remains an entertaining thriller bolstered by Cluzet's appropriately angst-driven performance.
Gabriel Shanks, Modern Fabulousity
Easily one of the best films of the year.
Noel Murray, AV Club
By and large, Tell No One is more interested in telling a knotty story than pondering its meaning, but in those rare deeper moments, Canet evokes how a tragedy can gather around a man and linger there, like a cloud of gnats.
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Although it might make your head spin, this case of Vertigo in cyberspace keeps us spellbound.

Read all 17 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Stephen M

A good little French thriller based on a novel by Harlan Coben. A doctor whose wife was brutally murdered eight years before receives an e-mail purporting to have been sent by the dead woman herself. Meanwhile, the police have reopened the case in the light of fresh evidence, all of… More
A good little French thriller based on a novel by Harlan Coben. A doctor whose wife was brutally murdered eight years before receives an e-mail purporting to have been sent by the dead woman herself. Meanwhile, the police have reopened the case in the light of fresh evidence, all of which - unfortunately for him - points to the husband as the killer. Although the plot eventually twists and turns itself beyond the bounds of plausibility, Tell No One remains an intellectually stimulating and - thanks to the strong central performance of François Cluzet - an emotionally satisfying piece of work. Beware, a Hollywood remake is in the offing :S
Emile T

Sometimes, Ne le Dis à Personne should have chosen to go for the drama instead of so much thriller, or the opposite. But it had to chose and it remained uneven between both. Both sides still worked and made of it all a great movie that deserved all the recognition,
Cynthia S

Excellent movie. Good, and believable acting. Fast paced, satisfyingly intricate plot with lots of suspense. This was not one of those films where you can foresee how things are going to work out--and are usually disappointingly right-- after the first few minutes. Far superior to the… More
Excellent movie. Good, and believable acting. Fast paced, satisfyingly intricate plot with lots of suspense. This was not one of those films where you can foresee how things are going to work out--and are usually disappointingly right-- after the first few minutes. Far superior to the other foreign films I have seen in this genre. Very well done!
Jim H

After skinny-dipping with his wife, a man wakes to find himself beaten and her dead. Eight years later he receives anonymous footage of her looking directly at the camera in a train station. As mounting evidence lead the police to pursue him for the murder, he must fight to find the… More
After skinny-dipping with his wife, a man wakes to find himself beaten and her dead. Eight years later he receives anonymous footage of her looking directly at the camera in a train station. As mounting evidence lead the police to pursue him for the murder, he must fight to find the truth about her death - if she is even dead - in this superbly constructed thriller. As I watch many American thrillers, I notice that most writers and directors emphasize either the action sequences or the intrigue. And virtually every night we're inundated with police procedurals like CSI and Cold Case. Tell No One succeeds because it is able to combine the best of both worlds. The primary action sequence - a chase scene - actually succeeds in compelling our interest because we care about the outcome. In Salt, for example, we don't really care about the initial chase sequence because we know that she's going to get away; she has to otherwise the film won't continue. But that's not the case here. Thus, there is built-in suspense as we wonder about the outcome. Additionally, in most thrillers when we meet the "bad" guy, the mystery is over. But here, information is given so sparingly and efficiently that the final reveal actually has some effect. Tell No One succeeds in keeping the characters ahead of us without leaving us in the dark. Essentially, we actually get to watch smart people solve the mystery. Overall, Tell No One is a thoroughly engrossing thriller that is almost perfectly constructed.
Lorenzo v

"8 years ago, Alex's wife was MURDERED. Today... She e-mailed him." The pediatrician Alexandre Beck misses his beloved wife Margot Beck, who was brutally murdered eight years ago when he was the prime suspect. When two bodies are found near where the… More
"8 years ago, Alex's wife was MURDERED. Today... She e-mailed him." The pediatrician Alexandre Beck misses his beloved wife Margot Beck, who was brutally murdered eight years ago when he was the prime suspect. When two bodies are found near where the corpse of Margot was dumped, the police reopen the case and Alex becomes suspect again. The mystery increases when Alex receives an e-mail showing Margot older and alive. <center>REVIEW</center> This French adaptation of Harlan Coben's convoluted thriller is doomed, by its language, to be overlooked by the majority of English-speaking moviegoers which is a huge shame, because it is a very stylish film that deserves a wider audience. It's strange that an American book has been made by the French, especially one with such obvious commercial potential, but had Hollywood bought the rights, I can't help thinking it would have produced something altogether different. Just watch that long chase scene midway through the film and listen to the soundtrack, distinctly downbeat in comparison to the type of music most American films would use, it nevertheless ratchets up the tension just as well. And there is a mutual moment of revelation for both us and the beleaguered Doctor Alexandre Beck (Francois Cluzet) played to U2's 'With or Without You' which sent a small shiver racing down my spine. I read Coben's book a couple of year's ago, and I'm not sure whether it's a good thing or not. While prior knowledge of the plot undoubtedly helps you to keep track of what's going on up on the screen ? and even then I was struggling at times ? the impact of the stories twists are inevitably blunted. As far as I can recall, the film stays fairly loyal to the book, although I'm pretty sure the creepy female assassin changed sex somewhere during the transition from page to screen. Francois Cluzot, who initially looks too old for the part, quickly grows into the part of a doctor who begins receiving emails from the wife whose murder he has been suspected of for 8 years. Cluzot looks a little like a darker, more rugged Dustin Hoffmann and copes well with the range of emotions he is asked to portray. Canet's direction is solid, and wisely avoids any posturing or flashiness in telling what is essentially a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of thriller, and only in the final half-hour, before a sit-down-and-let-me-tell-you-what-happened finale, do things begin to drag a little, although this is perhaps forgivable considering the dizzying pace at which the story has been told until then.
Drew S

A captivating story, poorly told. The way the movie doles out its plot gradually over its two hour running time suggests a more elegant conclusion, but alas, there's an enormous exposition dump on the shoulders of a peripheral character in a twist that's not necessarily hard… More
A captivating story, poorly told. The way the movie doles out its plot gradually over its two hour running time suggests a more elegant conclusion, but alas, there's an enormous exposition dump on the shoulders of a peripheral character in a twist that's not necessarily hard to believe, but mostly hard to care about. There's a sweet romance at the center of Tell No One that fares better than the mystery itself, but even it feels threatened, this time by some ludicrously over-the-top musical montages. With or Without You? Really? I wasn't aware that this was 1990. I think the movie's glowing reception makes a strong case for the fallibility of Rotten Tomatoes' ranking system. 93% is an excellent score for a movie on the site, but the high score is not necessarily an accurate picture of critical fervor, so much as one of a generally solid piece of entertainment. There really isn't much to hallmark this as a classic, save for an excellently shot and scored chase scene midway through the movie. Tell No One will be remembered for scenes like this, not for its hazy sociopolitical mystery or even its emotional subplots. As a thriller, it does well; as anything more it hardly registers.
jay n

Twisty suspenser with excellent performances and an a tight narrative.
A.D. V

Methodical Hitchcockian mystery/thriller that delivers in all departments and makes 2 hours of twisty-turny intrigue fly by. Enjoyably satisfying and highly recommended.
Julie B

This is quite a taut little thriller that kept me intrigued the whole way through. Lots of twists and turns supported by some strong performances including my new favorite movie dog.
Anthony L

A great thriller! The ending was a bit schmaltzy but the story, acting and direction more than makes up for it. Recommended!
Nate Z

Now this is a thriller made with surgical precision. This French film traces a doctor trying to uncover the mysterious murder of his wife, who may be alive after all. The doc needs to stay one step ahead of the police, who still think he's responsible for his wife's murder,… More
Now this is a thriller made with surgical precision. This French film traces a doctor trying to uncover the mysterious murder of his wife, who may be alive after all. The doc needs to stay one step ahead of the police, who still think he's responsible for his wife's murder, and he has to also watch out for other shady figures who may be responsible for his wife's disappearance. This engrossing thriller is character-based and while the twists and turns could induce whiplash, nothing feels totally out of place or unbelievable. This is a movie that holds up upon reflection. All the pieces fit together. Tell No One is exciting, intellectually stimulating, and it keeps you guessing, and yet the movie has a deep emotional core and resonates with palpable feeling. This is a terrific movie that should appeal to just about everybody with a pulse. Nate's Grade: A
Josh L

One of the most convoluted plots ever.So many characters, so many flashbacks and changing of the story after they had just said something else. You can't expect someone to understand something immediately and then switch it on them when they didn't even understand it in the… More
One of the most convoluted plots ever.So many characters, so many flashbacks and changing of the story after they had just said something else. You can't expect someone to understand something immediately and then switch it on them when they didn't even understand it in the first place. Less is more sometimes people! That said, it was never boring and had some good performances.
Robert C

Very nicely done. Strong performances by everyone involved. The story (while not entirely original) was intriguing and plays out nicely. Overall a very enjoyable film.
Emily A

This type of movie usually isn't really my cup of tea, but I found it really engaging and note-worthy. The story is really dense and serpentines wildly, and I found it a little hard to follow. The less you know about this movie going in, the more you'll enjoy it I think, so… More
This type of movie usually isn't really my cup of tea, but I found it really engaging and note-worthy. The story is really dense and serpentines wildly, and I found it a little hard to follow. The less you know about this movie going in, the more you'll enjoy it I think, so I'll try to keep my comments to a minimum. I think the element of this film I liked the most was the debt some gangbanger felt he owed the main character and the rapport/ relationship they developed.
moon r

a doctor receives an email from his brutally murdered wife...8 years after the still disturbing fact. now there's something that don't happen everyday, but so begins this taut French character driven mystery/thriller made viable by the intense lead performance of François… More
a doctor receives an email from his brutally murdered wife...8 years after the still disturbing fact. now there's something that don't happen everyday, but so begins this taut French character driven mystery/thriller made viable by the intense lead performance of François Cluzet (who sorta reminded me of Dustin Hoffman!). this one manages to keep one's attention till the payoff at the end wherein all preliminary confusion (and there's a lot of that) is cleared up and explained, which is one of the film's flaws actually, that it needs 'splainin' at all. there's a great foot chase involved on the way through Paris and the wacking of a heartless badass fem assassin that was very satisfying...better than expected all told, only not as good as hyped...
Stella D

a taut and intelligent thriller with good performances. i was a bit disappointed in the dénouement. too much exposition maybe.
Mark H

Confusing, convoluted, but also intriguing murder mystery will have you guessing until the very end when all is explained. It's got plot twists, romance and action. Gilles Lellouche as Bruno, is the kind of hoodlum you want on YOUR side.
Dean M

A solid and entertaining French Hitchcocian flick I ever watched with absolutely murder and mystery of an innocent doctor who is the prime suspect for the murder of his beloved wife 8 years ago. This thriller movie is a tradition of The Fugitive, The… More
A solid and entertaining French Hitchcocian flick I ever watched with absolutely murder and mystery of an innocent doctor who is the prime suspect for the murder of his beloved wife 8 years ago. This thriller movie is a tradition of The Fugitive, The Vanishing and Alfred Hitchcock's mystery movies.
Aaron N

Margot: Tell no one. They're watching. A very well made, well acted mystery thriller. This French made thriller has a very twisty story that made me think of it as combining aspects of Vertigo and The Fugitive. Francois Cluzet stars as Alex. He and his wife Margot were visiting… More
Margot: Tell no one. They're watching. A very well made, well acted mystery thriller. This French made thriller has a very twisty story that made me think of it as combining aspects of Vertigo and The Fugitive. Francois Cluzet stars as Alex. He and his wife Margot were visiting an old lake they have a history at, when during a late night swim, Alex here's a scream from Margot, before he is knocked unconscious. Eight years later, Alex continues to mourn over the death of his wife, living as a doctor in the city, when he suddenly starts receiving mysterious e-mails that may in fact be from his supposedly dead wife. Following these events, discoveries are made surrounding the events from 8 years ago, and Alex becomes caught up in one tense situation after the other, as he tries to learn the truth. This movie definitely works in holding you in the moment. It is skillfully made, with wonderful camera work keeping the viewer involved, adding to it the "regular man" in peril aspect, making it more intriguing. The soundtrack and score are also very effective throughout. Problems lie in the eventual reveals of the truth, as things are explained head on, opposed to letting the pieces fall into place, but up until then, it remains very exciting. Make no mistake, there are a number of tense moments scattered throughout, as well as a couple well done foot-chases. It also helps that all the actors make this movie work, particularly Cluzet as Alex. And I'll mention the soundtrack again, because I loved it. Very good. Very well done and absorbing as a thriller. Mysterious Woman: Where is she? Alex: I don't know. [squeezes a pressure point] Mysterious Woman: Where is she? Alex: I don't know.
Lady D

This fairly lengthly feature is very well put together, from an enjoyable soundrack, believable acting and storyline which pulls you in emotionally, to a well plotted ended. This film ticks lots of boxes for me and I certainly recommend. Possibly my favourite French speaking… More
This fairly lengthly feature is very well put together, from an enjoyable soundrack, believable acting and storyline which pulls you in emotionally, to a well plotted ended. This film ticks lots of boxes for me and I certainly recommend. Possibly my favourite French speaking film ? Impressive.