The Assistant

I like this movie, but it is a bit slow. The plot is no different from any other revenge movie. Son gets killed by a car while jaywalking. victims mom seeks revenge by posing as his secretary. Gets close to the killers family and do revenge type things.

Nathalie Baye is outstanding in the role of Marie-France Ducret, the able "assistant," who succeeds in worming her way into the life of Thomas Lemans. A decent man, Thomas had committed vehicular homicide while rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital. While crossing the street, little Sebastien died in the accident, and he was the son of Marie-France. Now, it is payback time. Despite the tasteful cinematography, interesting locations, and excellent performances, the shortcoming of the film was that it took itself too seriously. It was as if this were a documentary account of a true story of psychopathology and revenge. Even with Hitchcock's films, there are moments of levity with the director's cameo appearances. In "La volante," the subject matter was relentlessly grim and ghoulish. One is astounded by the degree of obsession of Marie-France as she seduces Thomas's father, a lonely widower. This provides her with the entrance into the Lemans family that she covets in order to be close to little Leo, who is to replace Sebastien in her life. It was hard to take the moment when Marie-France beat the poor old man to a pulp. Marie-France had many capabilities as an assistant. She was shrewd and ambitious. She also could turn on the charm. It was only the hapless Audrey who was able to perceive and prophesy the depth of Marie-France's scheming. This was a sad tale filled with sordid acts and lacking in redemption as a portrait of a world gone mad.

I second the first user's opinion:'La Volante" (=the flying secretary)is a taut absorbing psychological thriller which owes a good deal to Nathalie Baye whose performance is mind-boggling: if looks could kill,hers certainly would ;her smile is so prepossessing that it's almost eerie, frightening.She literally mesmerizes the audience,as she surpasses the executives ("she should know her place " sneers the hero's collaborator),and everybody around;she even seduces -for she is a very attractive woman- the hero's old man who soon marries her (the photograph of the wedding will come back as a fitting finale).Playing opposite such an outstanding actress,Malik Zidi (who was excellent as Jacques in "Les Thibault" miniseries) rises to the occasion,no small feat. The story is very classic,linear ,and could have been written by Simenon,Steeman,Very or Boileau-Narcejac:yes It's that much good.One plot hole :how is it possible that the driver and the mother whose son he's knocked down on the street do not meet at the hospital or at the police station?There must have been an inquiry.The trick of the medal is hackneyed. But it's minor quibble:this is a cruel story ,the beginning of which is particularly daring: a child is born whilst another one is dying;Baye's despair and crying fit when she sees her son's dead body is almost unbearable . And ,first but not least, admire the cast and credits ,at the beginning of the film! Like this? try these ..... "The bride wore black" (Truffaut ,1967;from William Irish) "L'Enfance Du Mal" (Olivier Coussenacq,2010)

I always cringe when I hear word Hitchcockian. Timeless masterpieces by the grand master who practically invented the genre of thriller and suspense, just do not transfer well in this era. So, I wasn't wrong again, even if this neat, a bit campy flick managed to entertain and even produce few chills. All of this happens mostly due to Nathalie Baye, the grand dame of French cinema. Even in this more than slightly over the top movie, she brings certain aura of dignity. She plays her character tightly without unnecessary histrionics, but with some welcome detachment, to let us know not to take anything to seriously. Even in all of this blood and gore she maintains certain amusement.

The plot of "La volante" will be familiar to anyone who's spent time watching Lifetime movies, but predictability doesn't harm this delicious morsel of a French thriller. Nathalie Baye delivers another masterful performance as the mother of a car crash victim who's now seeking revenge against the driver and his family. She ingratiates herself into his world without his knowing her identity, slowly becoming a critical figure in his life. Baye is great in this, expertly conveying quiet rage simmering underneath a calm exterior. It's hard not to root for her at first, especially given how much of an uninteresting schlub the man she's pursuing is! The psychological insights may be a bit shallow, as is often the case in this sort of film, but Baye's performance adds more than enough depth and interest.

It started off decently enough, but soon the clichés began rolling in. This is something you'll have seen dozens of times before. It's quite drawn out... Those 87 minutes start to feel like 187. Overall, not a lot happens, except for those tropes of course. I wouldn't bother with this one - there's no depth to it.

What a taut drama telling us the story of a woman whose the son is killed as a jaywalker by a hit - but not run - driver, a man whose the wife is about to give birth to their first child. Nine years later the deceased's mother - Nathalie Baye - seeks for a terrific revenge for her son death. She impersonates the killer husbands'secretary, assistant, and then step by step plans an insidious and machavellian intrusion inside the man's life, professional and personal: wife, child, father. Nathalie Baye is here absolutely outstanding as the villain, the first time in her career. But a villain character for whom we feel great empathy. This film reminded me another french feature which was made back in 2008: L'EMPREINTE DE L'ANGE, nearly the same atmosphere and same kind of story, if not the same tale. Don't miss it.