Opening with ethereal shots of a veil-draped deceased beauty ruminating on life, Nobody Else But You immediately conjures a distinct Lynchian vibe. As it idiosyncratically evolves that impression only strengthens. A crime writer, David Rosseau (Jean-Paul Rouve) returning to the sleepy, snowy French town of Mouthe in search of an inheritance that manifests as a stuffed pet, decides to hang around for a while.
He becomes especially interested in the demise of a local celebrity that coincides with his visit. Plucked from obscurity, Candice Lecoeur (Sophie Quinton) quickly rose to infamy as the recognisable face of a cheese company before progressing to weather girl on the local television station.
Something about the supposed suicide intrigues Rosseau whose crime writing instincts are pricked by details of the case. Sticking his nose into the lives of some locals he becomes convinced of foul play and laconically investigates under the pretence of researching his next novel with the willing assistance of a young officer, Leloup (Guillaume Gouix).
Defiantly bereft of urgency, Nobody Else But You (2011) earns credit for its unhurried pacing and manner of filling in the margins with a series of lovably quirky characterisations. In their own way, each lends richness to writer/director Gerald Hustache-Mathieu’s screenplay, like the motel worker who cons.
At the heart of the film is Rouve as the laidback writer who becomes haunted by the spectral, Laura palmer-like figure of Candice who, it is revealed, was an ardent fan of his work. Flashbacks interspersed through the narrative build upon Rosseau’s suspicions of an untimely demise. Though a convergence of past and present informs it, the film never feels like a conventional mystery. A host of deceptively clever ideas keep it interesting, including the humourous parallels between the rise to fame of Candice and Marilyn Monroe. All the inherent eccentricities are neatly judged, adding colour without the detractions of parody.
For more movies like NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU 2011 visit Hurawatch.
Also watch: