The Girl on the Train

André Téchiné, 2009, France, 105min, 35mm
Starring Émilie Dequenne, Michel Blanc, Catherine Deneuve, Mathieu Demy

Loosely based on the real case of a non-Jewish French woman who set off a media storm by falsely claiming to have been the victim of an anti-Semitic attack on the Paris subway, The Girl on the Train goes beyond the headlines to explore a recurrent theme in Téchiné’s work: lying and why people do it. Rather than providing pat answers, Téchiné crafts a fascinating ensemble piece in which Deneuve stands out by giving the potentially conventional role of the false victim’s widowed mother that enigmatic aura that makes her one of the great screen icons.

Imported 35mm print courtesy of Institut Français