In The Big Picture, an adaption of the book by Douglas Kennedy, Paul Exben (Romain Duris) has everything – a successful career, an attractive wife Sarah (Marina Fois), two young children and a wonderful home. He’s about to be left in control of the law firm he works for by his ill boss Anne (Catherine Deneuve) when a chain of events means that he loses everything.
Paul discovers that his wife is having an affair. When he finds out who her lover is, he confronts him and ends up fleeing his life having killed him unintentionally. We’re then invited to watch Paul trying to escape his past and develop a new persona as a photographer.
This Eric Lartigau directed film hinges on how much sympathy for Paul and his plight we can muster – a very difficult challenge. His story and the fact that he’s someone you wouldn’t automatically warm to are hard to overcome. But it is a very watchable film though maybe a little too long.
Cherrydial 