Plot
Set in the lower echelons of 1860s Paris, Therese Raquin, a sexually repressed beautiful young woman, is trapped into a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille, by her domineering ... See full summary »
Release Year: 2013
Rating: 7.2/10 (203 voted)
Critic's Score: 46/100
Director: Charlie Stratton
Stars: Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Felton, Jessica Lange
Storyline
Set in the lower echelons of 1860s Paris, Therese Raquin, a sexually repressed beautiful young woman, is trapped into a loveless marriage to her sickly cousin, Camille, by her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin. Therese spends her days confined behind the counter of a small shop and her evenings watching Madame play dominoes with an eclectic group. After she meets her husband's alluring friend, Laurent, she embarks on an illicit affair that leads to tragic consequences.
Writers: Neal Bell, Charlie Stratton
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen -
Thérèse Raquin
Oscar Isaac -
Laurent
Tom Felton -
Camille
Jessica Lange -
Madame Raquin
Shirley Henderson -
Suzanne
Matt Lucas -
Olivier
Mackenzie Crook -
Grivet
John Kavanagh -
Inspector Michaud
Lily Laight -
Young Thérèse
Matt Devere -
Therese's Father
Dimitrije Bogdanov -
Young Camille
Aleksandr Ivanovic -
Coachman #1
Filip Dedakin -
Coachman #2
Richard Sharkey -
Chief Clerk
Miodrag Milovanov -
Funeral Priest
Trivia: Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson were set to star as Therese Raquin and Laurent LeClaire respectively in a 1995 adaptation directed by David Leveaux but the project never happened. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 8/10
Elizabeth Olsen's latest title role performance is not as showy as her
first; when she broke out with "Martha Marcy May Marlene" in 2011, her
character's heart and mind were the primary focus of the film. She used
her bland looks like the Japanese Noh mask or the Greek Archaic smile,
which you could interpret as an expression of any emotion you would
like, thus lending mysteries and ambiguities. In "Therese" Olsen goes a
lot lighter, allowing us to detach from, or even dislike the apparent
protagonist if we choose so.
By contrast, Therese's mother-in-law, Madame Raquin is played by
Jessica Lange with a heavy emotional emphasis. Few actresses entertain
the idea of playing characters with special physical conditions. Fewer
can play them convincingly. Even fewer can play them without words.
With Lange they all come as standard. While seemingly playing an
antagonist, Lange makes a surprisingly gratifying character.
Tom Felton's frail Camille is Therese's arranged husband, and Oscar
Isaac's strong Laurent is Therese's extra-marital affection; these two
actors are also solid as they play friends and enemies with polar
opposite characteristics.
While by employing a comedic tone director Charlie Stratton takes away
some gravity from the serious subject, he nonetheless makes the antique
material accessible by wider audience. It is a rather simple story with
nothing mysterious about its plot or its characters' feelings and
motives, but at the same time, so cleverly ambiguous on the moral
ground that you cannot easily decide for which character to root.
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