Simon Killer (***)

The edgy title perhaps misrepresents a film that is largely a character drama, though of a dark character. The film is physically dark, too, making its setting, Paris, look much less appealing that in just about any film I’ve seen. American Simon (played by cowriter Brady Corbet) is hanging out there after a bad breakup. Now moping to his mother via Skype, now picking up a prostitute at a sex club, he’s both pathetic and a little creepy. It’s a curious combination; while Simon’s not a villain, I rarely found him sympathetic. This is as much an effect of the film’s style as Simon’s behavior. I was curious as to what would happen, but not sure what I wanted to happen. For similar reasons, the film may not appeal to a broad audience. However, it’s effective, and I did enjoy being surprised when I thought a plot point, such as the encounter with the prostitute, would take the film in one direction, yet would lead in another. The way director Antonio Campos handles the language barrier is also noteworthy. Simon speaks halting French, and so the dialogue switches between English and French in a way that seems realistic but is rarely seen in American films.

IMDb link

viewed 10/22/12 7:15 pm [Philadelphia Film Festival screening] and reviewed  10/31/2012