Unforgivable (2012)

76% of critics liked it
(33 reviews)
34% of users liked it
(1,544 ratings)

Francis (André Dussollier) is a successful crime writer who moves to Venice to work on his next novel. When he meets model-turned-real-estate-agent Judith (Carole Bouquet), he is instantly infatuated. Francis and Judith eventually marry and move to a remote house on Torcello Island but Francis'… More Francis (André Dussollier) is a successful crime writer who moves to Venice to work on his next novel. When he meets model-turned-real-estate-agent Judith (Carole Bouquet), he is instantly infatuated. Francis and Judith eventually marry and move to a remote house on Torcello Island but Francis' newfound happiness hinders his writing. Obsessing over what Judith does while at work, he hires a young ex-convict to investigate. As Judith's sexual past is revealed both men become increasing fixated on the mysterious woman. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Venice, Unforgivable examines the consequences of unresolved past relationships and their far-reaching effects into the future. -- (C) Strand

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Directed By: Andre Techine
Written By: Andre Techine, Mehdi Ben Attia
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Jun 29, 2012 Limited
Studio: Strand Releasing

Critic Reviews

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer
An exquisitely crafted, brilliant, confusing, disordered, maddening, and wonderfully flawed film that tries to show life as it is lived.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
It creates the lived-in sense of being in the world of the characters.
John Hartl, Seattle Times
Bouquet and the waterways of Venice are the chief charms of Téchiné's movie, which is otherwise one of his less convincing efforts.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
What makes the film involving is that it doesn't depend on the mechanical resolution of the plot, but on the close observation of its effects on these distinctive characters.
Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic
[Unforgivable] sets out as an account of unusual lives, finishes as a portrait of a society -- one that lives between the conventional and the openly low.
Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader
It's clearly the work of a master storyteller, conveying a rich, novelistic sense of character and a poetic feeling for the passing of time.
Robert Denerstein, Movie Habit
Techine's latest is rich in emotional intrigue
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
Though the movie lasts a reasonably brief 107 minutes, Téchiné is in no hurry to reveal his characters. We're still learning about them in the last few scenes, and our loyalties and attractions change.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Flat and a bit stale, like the characters. Not one of Téchiné's finest.
A.A. Dowd, Time Out Chicago
Unforgivable is a bit too relaxed to function as a thriller. Though admirably unpredictable, its plot is also spread thin among these fickle lovers.
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
The pervasive morbidity of Venice holds the narrative together, and a melancholy that companionship, parenthood, and art can't console.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
The multi-layer cake story has one or three too many.
Chris Barsanti, PopMatters
...a roundelay of obstinacy and desire, where lives are lived on their own terms, fiercely.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
In "Unforgivable," Téchiné keeps throwing out teasing ideas, but he never makes good on any of them.

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Walter M

In "Unforgivable," Francis(Andre Dussollier), a famed author, is looking for a quiet place in Venice to do some writing, so Judith(Carole Bouquet), a real estate agent and art expert, suggests a nearby island. After thinking about it, he says he will take it if she moves in… More
In "Unforgivable," Francis(Andre Dussollier), a famed author, is looking for a quiet place in Venice to do some writing, so Judith(Carole Bouquet), a real estate agent and art expert, suggests a nearby island. After thinking about it, he says he will take it if she moves in with him. Despite having doubts about sharing a bed with a man, a year and a half later they are married when his daughter Alice(Melanie Thierry), an actress, and granddaughter Vicky(Zoe Duthion) come to visit. All goes well until Alice disappears. First, Judith checks with Alvise(Andrea Pergolesi), a shady bit of nobility, before employing her friend Anna Maria(Adriana Asti), a semi-retired private detective, to take the case. If the movie "Unforgivable" has one thing going for it, it is the city of Venice which been filmed many times before, but not quite like this as it smartly explores the dividing line between tourist and resident. Outside of its setting and the very fine acting, the movie has more than its share of flaws, starting with the derivative jealousy storyline involving Judith's past and present, although I do like the line about her turning others on but nobody turning her on which definitely reminds of me of a former friend. And then there are the other tangents in this rambling narrative which at least serve in the telling the intriguing story of this extended family, of which Anna Maria is the most interesting and ironically given the shortest shrift. What would have worked better is a more compact narrative in a controlled structure.

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Cast

André Dussollier
as Francis
Carole Bouquet
as Judith
Mélanie Thierry
as Alice
Adriana Asti
as Anna Maria
Mauro Conte
as Jérémie
Alexis Loret
as Roger
Zoé Duthion
as Vicky
Sandra Toffolatti
as La Comtesse
Andrea Pergolesi
as Alvise

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Unforgivable (2012)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

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