Movie Description
Vincent (Aurelien Recoing) spends a lot of time in his car. He sleeps in his car sometimes, parked in highway truck stops where buses full of school children pass through during the daytime, and at night stragglers lost en route stop to drink and tell their stories. Having been fired from his job over a month ago, he is a man running from the truth. Unable to admit his unemployed status to his family, he goes to great lengths to convince his wife and three young children that he spends busy days hard at work. He makes phone calls home talking of meetings and appointments, then returns home complaining of fatigue from being overworked. In fact, he drives around a lot, meanders in and out of office buildings, picks up pieces of information and pages through vague research that does not seem to be part of any cohesive goal or plan. The menacing part of it all is that the closer we get to Vincent, the more he seems to convince himself, and us, that he's telling the truth. And the resulting psychological trickery is positively creepy.
This French mystery from director Laurent Cantet (HUMAN RESOURCES) carries an eerie chill that seems inexplicable. While the story seems simple enough, Vincent's lies and the way that he manipulates people--especially his family--are expertly conveyed with cold, steady camerawork and a beguiling performance from Recoing.
| Credits | | Producer: | Caroline Benjo | | Cast: | Karin Viard |
Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus, Theatrical release: March 29, 2002 (NY)
April 12, 2002 (LA)
The story of TIME OUT is adapted from actual events. The character of Vincent is based on Jean-Claude Romand, who, for 18 years, tricked his family into believing that he worked for the World Health Organization in Geneva. In Romand's case, he murdered his family when they found out about his invented life and confronted him about it. In TIME OUT, Vincent does not go quite so far. THE ADVERSARY: A TRUE STORY OF MONSTROUS DECEPTION by Emmanuel Carrere, also recounts Romand's story.
Editorial Reviews
"...[A] leisurely film....Mr. Recoing's performance is a sensitive portrayal of a man in the throes of an excruciating spiritual crisis....TIME OUT is entrancingly beautiful..."
New York Times - p.E24 - Stephen Holden (03/29/2002)
"...TIME OUT is as timely and wrenching a film as you'll find anywhere in these dog days of corporate downsizing....Recoing gives a performance that won't soon be forgotten. Neither will TIME OUT. It's a great movie..."
Rolling Stone - p.84 - Peter Travers (04/25/2002)
"...[Livrozet] exudes a relaxed ironic charm..."
Sight and Sound - p.44-5 - Philip Kemp (04/01/2002)
"...TIME OUT is not just an especially subtle and thoughtful psychological drama, it's a provocative, even an unnerving one as well..."
Los Angeles Times - p.C1 - Kenneth Turan (04/12/2002)
"...Cantet elicits a superb central performance from the gentle, chameleonic Recoing....An understated treat..."
Total Film - p.104 - Tom Dawson (05/01/2002)
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