“DOUBLE HOUR.” | Suspense
Unrated. 1 hour 45 minutes. At the Esquire.
A beautiful, head-spinning mystery that requires keen attention — and rewards it with a tricky and poetic payoff — “The Double Hour” is a top-flight Euro thriller right up there with “Tell No One.”
Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi, a commercial and video guy clearly schooled in Hitchcock, early Polanski, and the classic noirs, makes an astounding feature debut that pulls the rug out from under its lead character — and from the audience.
That character is Sonia (Russian actress Ksenia Rappoport), a sad-eyed Slovenian emigre to Turin. She works as a hotel chambermaid, and, as “The Double Hour” begins, she has to contend with the haunting departure of one of the hotel’s guests.
At a speed-dating event, she meets Guido (Filippo Timi), an ex-cop who works as a security guard at an elegant private villa on the outskirts of town. Something clicks as the two trade introductory, exploratory chatter. It’s not long before they fall into a serious romance — and serious trouble.
It would be irresponsible to say another word about what happens between Sonia and Guido. Trust me, though — you’ll want to find out.
Rappoport and Timi won the best-acting awards at the 2009 Venice Film Festival for their efforts. Their work on screen is subtle and smart and absolutely pitch-perfect.
On one level, “The Double Hour” is a love story, and a story of forgiveness and trust and second chances. On another level, it’s a psychological puzzle, pulsing with suspense.
There may come a point in “The Double Hour” when you find yourself feeling toyed with, manipulated, perhaps even betrayed. But let things sit with you a while, and consider the implications and resonances in this labyrinthine plot.
There’s more here than meets the eye.
