With recent turns in films like “Venus in Fur” and “Quantum of Solace,” among many others, Mathieu Amalric has shown that he’s just as comfortable in front of the camera as he is behind it. In fact, in his latest film, “The Blue Room,” he does double duty, both starring in and directing the sexually charged crime thriller. He actually adapted the script from Georges Simenon’s novel too, showing he is indeed a man with many talents. We’ve seen a couple of NSFW international trailers, but with a domestic release on the horizon, we now have a toned down version for American audiences.
The film screened earlier this year at Cannes (read our review here, which calls it “a compelling argument about the dangers of lovers’ chit-chat in a state of post-coital distraction,” and how many movies can you say that about?) in the Un Certain Regard section. We weren’t the only ones taken with the non-linear storytelling and the noir trappings, and IFC Films is set to distribute it on U.S. shores.
Here is the synopsis that accompanies this new trailer:
Two adulterous lovers go from pillow talk to possible murder in this sexy, brain-teasing thriller. Mathieu Amalric (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Grand Budapest Hotel”) directs and stars as Julien, a middle-aged salesman embroiled in a steamy love affair with a married woman who, after a round of kinky sex, makes a startling suggestion. Suddenly Julien is caught up in a police investigation—but just what exactly happened? Based on a novel by celebrated crime writer Georges Simenon, this beguiling cinematic puzzle unfolds in an elliptical style that keeps the audience guessing every step of the way.
“The Blue Room” also stars Léa Drucker and opens in theaters on October 3rd. Check out the trailer for yourself below.