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Emmanuelle Devos is Carla, a half-deaf office drone who's completely ignored at work. Full of complexes and anguish, she also uses her deafness to her advantage, clicking off her aid when it's convenient and reading lips for sport. She hires a male assistant, Paul (Vincent Cassel) who's just been sprung out of prison for robbery. Though he has no visible office skills, Carla takes him on and helps him readjust to life. He in turn gets her to let her hair down and use her lip reading skills to steal another thief's treasure. Though there are no wild sex scenes, Audiard (Self-Made Hero) is a master at creating sexual tension. Whether it's Devos looking at herself naked in the mirror (a preview of the freer person she'll become) or talking on the phone with breathy excitement as Cassel instructs her on spying, their feelings for each other are palpable. At a recent screening of the film at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood, Audiard was present to answer questions. He stated that his wife refers to his cinema as "myopic". She's certainly right: the close shots add a touch of claustrophobia. One advantage is that the tension between the characters is immediately heightened. And, with close-up after close-up, we immediately relate to Devos and her quirky charm. It also gives a sense of the solitude in French society. Devos works in a cramped, crowded environment where she may as well be a potted plant. Crowds of businessmen hover around her desk but there is no communication. While her lip-reading brings her much needed adventure, what she reads isn't always pleasant. Unbeknownst to her coworkers, she's privvy to what they say about her. In some lighter moments, she can drown out sound, such as when a friend's baby is wailing. The characters undergo transformation but they never let go of their essential identities. Respect is central to this film. Though these two are disregarded in society, they connect with each other and find much needed respect. What's more, they bow to no one. The acting is of course impeccable. Cassel and Devos have a great rapport onscreen. Cassel (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Hate, Birthday Girl) perfectly embodies a sneaky, arrogant slouch while Devos delivers a performance that generates lots of empathy but not pity- no easy task. A far cry from an American romantic comedy, Red Lights delivers romance and humor instead.
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