My Worst Nightmare

Directed by Anne Fontaine, My Worst Nightmare follows Isabelle Huppert’s Agathe as she’s forced to contend with the distracting antics of a loudmouthed boor ( Benoît Poelvoorde’s Patrick) – with Patrick’s arrival ultimately affecting the lives of everyone around him. Filmmaker Fontaine does a superb job of infusing the early part of My Worst Nightmare with a lighthearted, fast-paced feel that proves impossible to resist, with the unexpectedly conventional atmosphere heightened by the charismatic work from the various stars. (Even Huppert fares well here; the actress’ notoriously icy persona acts as a perfect counterpoint to Poelvoorde’s easygoing demeanor.) The pervasively comedic vibe is perpetuated by Poelvoorde’s often hilarious turn as Patrick, as the actor does a superb job of infusing even the simplest of lines with an appropriately over-the-top panache (eg after being rebuffed by a pretty social worker, Patrick remarks that “if a girl’s IQ is over 80, my charm stops working.”) The affable atmosphere persists right up until about the halfway mark, after which point the movie undergoes a weird tonal shift as Fontaine begins emphasizing the melodramatic comings and goings of the characters (eg Agathe’s son is expelled, her husband begins having an affair, etc). The film’s transformation into a typically French drama revolving around infidelity is jarring, to say the least, and there’s little doubt that the movie peters out significantly as it limps towards its entirely anti-climactic finale. Fontaine’s oddly schizophrenic sensibilities are especially disappointing given how positively the movie fares in its early stages, with the end result a terminally uneven piece of work that will leave most viewers flummoxed and frustrated.

*1/2 out of ****