There is something about French film-makers, Sophie Laloy included, they seem to have an innate understanding of the words between the lines, blending unexpressed emotions and mood into a seductive web.

Laloy brings a sexiness and, eventually an uneasiness to Highly Strung, that is tempered with a smart twist.

Marie and Emma were friends as kids but drifted, as often happens. When piano-maestro Marie is accepted to the musical conservatory in Lyon, years later, Emma offers to share her parents’ large apartment in the city and the two quickly re-acquaint themselves. However, it becomes obvious that Emma isn’t the charming twenty-something she seems on the outside; she’s desperately lonely and sees Marie as her passport to a fuller life. Unfortunately, Marie has other ideas and is too embarrassed to invite Emma out with her new college friends. Jealousy soon rears its head and Emma becomes more and more obsessed with controlling Marie.

So far, so Single White Female. The intelligent thing here, though, is that towards the end of the film, the victim becomes the victimiser.  Marie, originally scared by Emma’s behaviour and her sexual advances towards her, starts to use the obvious power she has over Emma to get what she wants. It’s this one twist that turns an otherwise rather pretentious film into something worth watching.

The leads are both gorgeously French (obviously), with Edith Scob the standout as Marie. She starts out all fresh-faced excitement at being in the big city, slowly growing into herself more and realising the potency of her sexuality. Isild Le Besco is slightly ‘stereotypical weird’ with wide eyes and hair pulled back so tightly she must have had a headache for weeks.

I have to warn you – don’t buy this for the sex scenes. If fully clad women hard breathing, kissing and rubbing up against one another does it for you, here’s your movie. If not, hopefully you’ll get something else out of this odd little film.

Highly Strung from Peccadillo Pictures

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