Review of The Page Turner (2006) by Derek B — 13 Oct 2009

'The Page Turner' is a revenge film, but much more subtle than, say 'Single White Female or 'The Hand that Rocks the Cradle' which deal with similar themes.

A budding young pianist's hopes are dashed when she is unfairly treated by an examiner. Her reaction is extreme and what follows is the basis of the film. In real life, what happened during this examination is almost impossible (I'm a pianist, so I know). Even if one accepts that such a thing could happen, the story continues along an equally far-fetched route. Yes, the tension does build well, the music is good and the acting not bad. But there is a highly implausible element near the end, with sex rearing it's ugly head as usual (because this is after all a French film, and even if it doesn't make sense, there has to be a bit of sex thrown in for good measure).

There are also a number of elements in her revenge over the family which do rely on a suspension of disbelief which unfortunately undermines the overall impression of the film. Having said that, if you are prepared to go along with these, it is an enjoyable movie to watch as long as you don't ask too many questions.