The cinematic world of the French middle classes is uniquely difficult to warm to. It is a world of chilly family relations in immaculately designed houses where history of art books take the place of a TV and people stare confrontationally at each other over their evening glass of Cabarnet Sauvignon. Before the Winter Chill, the third film from writer director Philippe Claudel (I’ve Loved You So Long) is the perfect example of the genre and as such is easy to admire but very difficult to love.
Daniel Auteuil plays Paul, a successful neurosurgeon approaching the end of his career, who lives a very comfortable if unexciting life with his wife Lucie (Kristin Scott Thomas). At a cafe one day, a pretty young waitress named Lou (Leila Bekhti) approaches him, claiming that he operated on her when she was a child. Paul is sceptical but forgets the encounter until he begins to receive bunches of roses from an anonymous source and believes Lou to be the culprit. As Paul starts to act secretively, Lucie suspects him of having an affair. In fact, his relationship with the mysterious Lou has become something much more complex and potentially dangerous.
Just like its central characters, Before the Winter Chill feels a little aimless and confused. There are aspects of thriller about the plot that aren’t all that thrilling, while several interesting plot strands and characters are sacrificed to moody silences and navel gazing. Ultimately, the film is an examination of the middle-class, middle-aged malaise of a couple who have become bored by their affluent lives. Auteuil and Scott-Thomas are both excellent in the portrayal of this malaise. Auteuil performs with a studied blankness, always looking deep in troubled thought. Scott-Thomas meanwhile, brings life to the thankless role of the frustrated wife, preoccupied by how different her life could have been. Despite the performances though, it’s difficult to empathise with the couple’s first world problems. Bekhti’s Lou injects a shot of lower class passion amongst all this detachment but her story is clearly not Claudel’s priority and falls rather flat.
A film of social unease and closely guarded emotions, Before the Winter Chill boasts some interesting performances but is a slow-burner that never catches fire.