Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Wes_Dean In the house is a movie, like a lot of Ozon's work, that unveils secret and repressed desires. Frustrations are also a key element to the movie and the plot is based on a need coming from every character, that makes the story go forward, at almost any price.This story is narrated through the lens of Claude, a student whose french teacher sees an incredibly huge potential as a writer in him. But what's the most interesting in this story, is how through his essays, Claude manipulates his teacher and manipulates the reality of the story. This movie has a complex narrative that is happening in different places but that are all connected through a simple sheet of paper, showing the power of words. But what's the most interesting and disturbing at times, is Claude's interpretation of what is Realism for him. It is not a coincidence if the major literary figure in this movie is Gustave Flaubert, one of the greatest representatives of 19th century realism. Because Claude says it, he only writes what he sees and what happens around him. And we clearly see that when he starts imagining what he is writing, it doesn't work. That obsessive need is what makes Claude all along the movie, becoming what could name a manipulative sociopath, and his teacher a complice of his acts because he only sees himself in his student, and doesn't want him to reproduce the same mistakes that he already made. This is a great stimulating movie, where (at the beginning especially) Kristin Scott Thomas and Fabrice Luchini are kind of off, but then the intrigue catches you and I challenge anyone who watches this movie, not to be caught by this wonderfully unsettling and thrilling movie.

Blake Peterson Joining the Tom Ripleys and the Brandon Shaws of the world, Claude Garcia (Ernst Umhauer) is yet another slick sociopath that smiles a creepy smile in the face of the mini-tragedies that befall the people that attract his attention. He isn't a killer but he may as well be; he seems distant from reality, putting himself at an arm's length away from life's biggest outpourings of emotion.In the House is a clever black comedy that touches on the obsessions of Brian De Palma and the subtleties of Hitchcock. With an adept premise at its disposal, the film constructs several climaxes (some based in reality, some in fantasy) that act as tricks in a setting of stringed treats. Ozon's direction is subversive and unpredictable; the situation begins with a comedic edge, but will it transform into a voyeuristic thriller? In the House keeps us on our toes at all times — even if it isn't necessarily a "thriller" per se, it contains the same uncomfortable silence, the same uncomfortable suspense.It's the start of a new school year, and lit teacher Germain Germain (Fabrice Luchini) can feel unrest bubbling in his blood. When he assigns a "How I Spent My Last Weekend" essay, he is disappointed with the results. The majority of the kids are so apathetic that all they can muster is a few lines about how they ate pizza on Saturday and were too tired to do anything on Sunday. But one student perks his interest: the smarmy Claude Garcia, who writes about his experience wriggling into the home of an affluent family he's been spying on. To him, they're picture perfect. When he becomes the tutor of the house's youngest member, the shy Rapha (Bastien Ughetto), he is simultaneously intrigued and mocking of their boring normalities. The paper ends simply with a to be continued.Germain is troubled, but mesmerized. He seems to visualize a premise for a potentially successful novel, and immediately takes interest in Claude's writings. He wants his student to make that to be continued a reality. Germain once again finds enthusiasm for teaching, but when Claude proves to be much more perceptive and manipulative than he first appears to be, a chain of events trails on that means disaster for his instructor.In the House is brilliantly constructed, seamless in a labyrinth of intricacies. It's amusing and dark; as Germain analyzes Claude's writings as though they were fiction, there is devious smirk on Claude's face; but then again, we're wearing that devious smirk too. Germain intermittently pushes his student to further develop the Rapha Sr. "character," or delve a little deeper into the psyche of his wife (Emmanuelle Seigner) — one can only hold their head in their hands in frustration that Germain can't seem to grasp the idea that these people are real, and the damage done is all the work of Claude. Yet, Germain has had the same job for years, has been married for years, has kept the same routine going for years. In order to get some excitement into the atmosphere, he'd rather live the lives of seemingly average people just to avoid the ennui of his own. Luchini's performance is so convincing that we never see Germain with disappointment in our eyes; we instead see a man so caught up in escapism that he'd do anything to ride on its back.Claude, however, is a willing subject. He slides along corridors hoping to catch a glimpse of something he shouldn't, he wishes to whiff another scent of a middle-class woman, as he so uncomfortably puts it. For the majority of the film, he carries a dashing arrogance that makes you want him to do bad; but just towards the end, we find him just as desperate to escape his own reality as Germain is. Umhauer is 50 shades of sinister, and the fact that we hope for something unspeakable to happen speaks volumes about his performance.In the House jumbles up the trappings of suburban life and twists it into a gnarled exercise in underlying tension. The terror we feel never comes to a head, but we crave it. Read more reviews at petersonreviews.com

Vultural ~ Serious art-house territory as director François Ozon offers another film (his third) about writers. Young student worms his way into his best friend's house and family, observing and probing their bourgeois, middle class home. Sharing his voyeuristic streak, he writes stories about them and submits them to his composition teacher. Always ending, "To be continued ..." The teacher soon becomes absorbed, as does his wife, with whom he shares the stories. Maddening difficult to tell if the student's observations were accurate or partial. Were the stories clichéd, balanced, stereotyped? Was the teacher layering his own filters and fantasies? The house of cards narrative steadily teeters higher. Not exactly a thriller, but an unsettling ride.

shatguintruo A bored teacher. Despondent. A search for the fountain of youth. ( Oh! How it's dreadful growing old! If I only could stay forever young, in all the splendour of my 15, 16 years... ). Alás, now suddenly arises everything I would like to be. And how this appeared? Through myself? No... Through my wife, Jeanne, an intellectual like myself. accomplice of all my successes and all my failures. an open dialogue, for better or worse. A boy, yet, Claude Garcia who challenges me. I, who always thought of myself as being the best, now in my mature years I can read between the lines, in all my conversations with any person, a little bit of their personality. How I acquired this ability? It came from all the literature I have absorbed over the years. This would surely be Germain's thought, if we were given the power to enter his mind. With this movie, François Ozon gives us a present: It is the old story of the sphinx: decipher me or be devoured. The sphinx: François Ozon... who is about to be devoured? We, The spectators. In the purpose of what I have just written: remember the scene in which Claude just made love with Jeanne? The way he faces sideways the camera? Traces of a smile, such as Leonardo Da Vinci's La Gioconda... "enigmatic"... (Is it really a smile or isn't? Is she shy or is she a challenge?) The movie is almost a reality show, many things are left to the imagination of the ones who appreciate this genre. Germain is a voyeur, though he might not know it, or perhaps he knows but denies it to his wife and even to himself, voyeur still, nevertheless. Claude Garcia realises this since his first talk with the "master". Henceforth, he unravels a plot which the ending he already knows. And it is so clever that makes with Germain thinks that HE is the one who directs the plotting. To finalize: impeccable masterpiece for all those who go to the movies in search for more than just a fun and amusing blockbuster. In a scale of 1 to 10, I give this movie: 10 (masterpiece).