Tell No One
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 46
  3. Negative: 4 out of 46

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  1. RobinsNest
    Mar 2, 2012
    2
    I just can't resist. I know my reaction to French films; but I hope I will encounter one that is good. Maybe it's because of the culture and language gap. But they just do not work. Here is another example of the critics trying to make me believe that "the emperor is wearing clothes"; but as usual he is not! This is a long ridiculous film. There is no one to root for. Characters come in and out at breakneck speed. Just as I thought I know who someone was and what their motivation might be, how they relate to the hero, another "huh?" moment. I hung on to see what was happening, but around half-way in, I started to use the dreaded fast forward button. I could not have cared any less about any of these people (okay, maybe the gangster who saves our hero; how did he find him? was he tracking him too?) The police and prosecutors are presented as bumbling fools, jumping to conclusions (save for one who is unbelievable at not continuing his chase of the hero). The defense lawyer based on nothing but some, I say some, circumstantial evidence is ready to give up on her client. Ah you say characters that do not conform; that's different, worth watching. I was shown one thing, a certain way, and then a different way. I guess no on is enlightened about the dangers of smoking; does everyone in France smoke? Even the doctors? And the grand finale, a character who conveniently sits down, makes the hero sit, and said to me, "okay, you relax too, I'll explain everything) and spells out very single detail of what went on. The filmmakers must have known no one would be able to figure it out, let alone care. I could tell you where to go to so you donâ… Expand
  2. pinkscreen
    Feb 20, 2012
    5
    Something was missing, the movie was not as good as the book. Harlan Coben is a good writer. Turning one of his book into a movie was challenging this result is not as good as I expected even Canet is a good director.
  3. Andrew
    May 16, 2009
    7
    Eric L. is a bit harsh. I'm not a lifelong left-winger and so didn't find the smug, pretentious leftist cant that annoying. It comes with the territory in French cinema. I did, however, find my jaw hitting the floor that a movie can be so engaging and fun for 1:45 and then spend its final 15 minutes staggering me with how it has transformed into a third-rate miniseries or a Lifetime Original soap opera. I liked nearly all of it; however, be forewarned about the climax and denouement. If you have a brain you will feel completely insulted.… Expand
  4. EricMendez
    Apr 13, 2009
    9
    Are we all watching this movie? Someone gave this a bad review because they changed the name of the characters? for real? and as for the reviewer that asked about the baby....if you wondering about he baby in the park they were talking about the womans baby that was sitting next to Alexandre. The movie is perfect for a thriller. They dont make them this good, they really dont, go watch you will love it.… Expand
  5. JayH.
    Mar 29, 2009
    7
    Solid mystery thriller from French, and the French excel at that genre. Well acted, suspenseful and most always interesting. It does go on a bit long, but otherwise it's a fine film. Good score and cinematography.
  6. Alex
    Dec 10, 2008
    9
    Excellent picture. Very compelling and wonderfully crafted.
  7. AmandaL
    Dec 7, 2008
    2
    I haven't seen the movie. But I HAVE read the book. The pediatricians name isn't "Alexandre" it's David. And his wife's name is not "Margot" it's Eliazbeth. I find it insulting that they made such a horrible mistake on Harlan Cobens book. Read it, you won't be able to put it down.
  8. AddisonS
    Nov 21, 2008
    9
    Incredibly well crafted film that leaves you absolutely breathless.
  9. RobertE.
    Sep 29, 2008
    10
    A deep film; deeply plotted and deeply felt, brilliantly acted and intensely memorable: I thought about half a sleepless night. It reminded me of that best of noir films, Out of the Past
  10. CecilT.
    Sep 22, 2008
    6
    Over-rated. I'd ask those who praise it's airtight plot what happened to the baby.
  11. EricL.
    Sep 15, 2008
    3
    Watching or reading a Good Mystery should be like watching a Good Magician: you know you are being cleverly misled and relish the challenge of seeing through various feints and slight of hand to put the puzzle together. But mysteries only delight us when we know that we were given a fair chance--i.e. that the clues were there all along, but we were fooled despite our best efforts. Tell No One never gives the audience a chance: its like hearing a 7 yr old tell a story and realizing midway through she's been making it up off the top of her head (and has now lost the pt entirely). While the film's opening is terrific, once Canet force feeds Jeff Buckley's otherwise gorgeous "Lilac Tree" (at twice the film's normal volume), any discerning viewer will began to suspect a fraud. It goes downhill from there. I'm honestly shocked at how easily duped most critics (and apparently some viewers) are: the script isn't complex; it is incoherent. And with the exception of a few chases, the editing is merely confusing; not beguiling. A last pt: the film shows how easy it is to get good reviews simply by flattering the political and aesthetic sensibilities of film critics. Perhaps the most annoying thing about Tell No One is its smug and lazy liberalism (I say this as a life-long liberal). No wait: even more annoying is its preening, self indulgent and entirely uninspired musical score. You get the feeling Canet spent more time figuring out which songs from his 1990's mix tape to use than figuring out how to convey a fairly complex mystery novel in the space of two hours.… Expand
  12. Dave
    Sep 11, 2008
    9
    Don't understand some of the low scores for this film. I thought it was one of the better ones I saw this summer. I never felt it was too long, and I was captivated through the entire film.
  13. richardb
    Aug 29, 2008
    7
    Good start, great chase scenes, decent music...but the all-powerful Dick Cheney as the explanation for everyone's crazy behavior (why doesnt the 'dead' wife ever phone her husband in 8 years???) makes Chinatown seem like a sitcom. Hell, it makes The Usual Suspects a model of thrifty exposition. Hard not to giggle as the policeman/father's explanation twists & turns & gets more & more knotted up; and BE WARNED: this will only get worse when they remake it in Hollywood.… Expand
  14. EricP.
    Aug 13, 2008
    5
    I've rated this movie a 5, which seems a good score for a well-made movie with a crappy story. To say the plot is implausible is stretching things. I'm not sure it rises to the level of implausibility.
  15. PaulE.
    Aug 12, 2008
    5
    Viewer has no chance in solving the mystery and knows it fairly early in the film. So you just give up and wait for the damn thing to end and explain itself, which it finally does, but the explanation itself has epic length. Much ado about about not much.
  16. JimG
    Aug 2, 2008
    6
    Engaging, entertaining, energetic!
  17. Steve
    Jul 26, 2008
    7
    Tell Everyone...who enjoys a good mystery thriller film. Guillaume Canet has made a well-directed, atmospheric, slightly edgy translation of Harlan Coben's novel into a French setting, assisted by the most evocative soundtrack. Coben's novels take sometimes incredulous turns, and Tell No One is not one of his best. Still, the production's skill makes Tell No One worth watching. The star, Francois Cluzet, is brilliant, perfect as the confused, hopeful, desperate and despondent husband who does not know with what dangerous entanglements he is involved.… Expand
  18. JohnH.
    Jul 22, 2008
    1
    TRAIN WRECK ALERT !! The New York Post reviewer quoted above comes closest to achieving a degree of lucidity when he writes
  19. JonathanA.
    Jul 21, 2008
    10
    If you went in looking for a thriller and weren't completely satisfied, there's something wrong with you.
  20. RichardV.
    Jul 14, 2008
    9
    Complex and exciting, even if not completely plausible. Certainly sets your heart to racing. You really need to pay attention and even then, hard to grasp. Not a boring moment. Nice musical score.
  21. SpencerF.
    Jul 14, 2008
    10
    no one can make American noir like the French - this is an excellent movie with a killer soundtrack....."lost myself on a cool dark night".
  22. JefferyS.
    Jul 11, 2008
    9
    A first rate French thriller based on one of the most entertaining American novels I've ever picked up. Packs an emotional wallop and some big Bourne-esque action.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: KJ Doughton
    80
    Tell No One is a French variation on "The Fugitive," but it's a more subtle, discreet animal.
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  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    90
    Spicing up the entire package is a screenplay by Canet and Philippe Lefebvre that bristles with wit and energy.
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  3. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: David Denby
    90
    It’s Cluzet’s intense performance that makes this genre piece a heart-wrenching experience.
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