Movie No. 31 (2014): STRANGER BY THE LAKE

Stranger By The Lake (2013)
Director: Alain Guiraudie
Cast: Christophe Paou, Pierre Deladonchamps
In French, with English subtitles

At the center of the film is a secluded lake on whose shore naked strangers bask in the sun and in whose calm water some swim in the nude. But, some things more interesting or dangerous happen in the bushes. In its minimalist approach, the movie some what tests your patience by showing almost repetitive scenes, maybe a suggestion of routine and boredom. And the state of quietude in the lake will be silently shaken by the discovery of a the corpse of one of the habitues of the lake in the water. Local authority starts to investigate, and two of the main characters are both suspect. The film appears to me like it's a collaborative effort of Eric Rohmer, Francois Ozon, Alfred Hitchcock, and Pedro Almodovar.

The film succeeds in building up tension and suspense, mixed with eroticism. I've never seen a film so twisted, smart, suspenseful, and sexy.

Rating: 4.0/4.0

Date seen: April 5, 2014

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