Emmanuelle Seigner & Eva Green ©Carole Bethuel/Lionsgate
Based on a True Story by Roman Polansky is an intimate thriller staging two women – an author and a fan – with opposing views on a writer’s creation process.
Based on a True Story by the master director Roman Polansky opposes two women, Delphine, a famous but fragile writer to a ghost writer – Her, as in Hermione – who works in the shadow of personalities and displays charm, strength and intuition. In a moment of solitude and exhaustion, Delphine accepts Her’s friendship, who gradually takes the reins of her life so that the author finally gives birth to her “hidden book.”
Eva Green, Roman Polansky & Emmanuelle Seigner ©YesICannes.com
An unnamed ghost writer
Delphine (Emmanuelle Seigner) is a famous author exhausted by the promotion of her latest bestselling novel. She meets an attractive young woman (Eva Green) who captivates her by her intuitive remarks and her willingness to listen. The young woman is a ghost writer for celeb biographies with no name (like the character of The Ghost Writer), but Her. Delphine begins to receive anonymous letters criticizing the way she used her family in her latest book. Her moves to Delphine’s when the author breaks her knee while her companion François (Vincent Perez) travels in the United States and offers her help and friendship.
Eva Green & Roman Polansky ©YesICannes.com
Terrible but suspicious tragedies
But, like a cannibal, Her invades Delphine’s professional and private life for her to dedicate herself to writing the intimate, hidden novel about her life experience. Except that Delphine suffers from writer’s block!
The plot unfolds at a slow but implacably tense rhythm and the suspense rises around questions about Her‘s personality and her imaginary friend Kiki who seems to have consoled her when her parents – especially her father – “broke something in her”. Consoled perhaps, but also avenged by some arson…
In a thriller, one should never trust appearances… While Her wanted to Delphine to write a novel about her personal experience, Delphine conceives the idea of writing a book on Her, a real “novel character” with her terrible and suspicious past tragedies. But first, she has to get out of Her‘s claws!
Eva Green, Roman Polansky & Emmanuelle Seigner ©YesICannes.com
Fan then poisonous friend
Eva Green, actress Marlene Jobert’s daughter, makes turn pale – by her presence and her incisive acting – Emmanuelle Seigner not very convincing as a writer tormented by anonymous letters and her block in front of the white screen. Vincent Perez is rather mousy on the screen like his character in the film. The screenplay co-written with Olivier Assayas (Best Direction Award at Cannes Film Festival 2016 for Personnal Shopper) is adapted from the novel by Delphine de Vigan. One can not help but compare Based on a True Story to Rob Reiner‘s Misery, based on a novel by Stephen King. Although masterfully made in the traditional mode, one sees immediately who suffers from the comparison.
Based on a True Story
A film by Roman Polansky
Couleur – 1h50 – Out of Competition – Closing Film
Emmanuelle Seigner & Roman Polansky ©YesICannes.com
The Based on a True Story Red Carpet
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