Based on a True Story

His first traditional creeper since The Ninth Gate, the film is genuinely unnerving, boasting Polanski's trademark scares and sprinkled with just enough meta-storytelling elements to pique the intellect.

Emmanuelle Seigner, often Polanski's muse, to mixed results, shines differently here. Instead of playing the femme fatale, she channels the essence of Peter Coyote's character from Bitter Moon. Drenched in sweat, reactive and constantly piecing together the puzzle, she offers a fresh on-screen exploration, showcasing the dynamic director-actor partnership they share.

"Based on a True Story" is a delightful flirtation with meta-storytelling elements. Although it doesn't delve deep into fiction versus reality or authorship complexities, it stands as an homage to films that do. Seigner's portrayal of a writer becomes Polanski's medium to tip his hat to the films that traverse the ambiguous boundaries between life and art. The narrative is like a scenic tour of meta-cinematic themes. It feels familiar yet offers a refreshed perspective, akin to revisiting known terrains with a new lens.

Interestingly, while Polanski's style has inspired many, including Darren Aronofsky, shades of Aronofsky's influence are palpable in this piece. Artistic inspirations often come full circle.

The film evokes memories of classics like Misery, and the co-dependent merging reminiscent of Persona. It's not merely a thriller; it's an exercise in "thriller". Every character, even the background ones, are meticulously cast and memorable, elevating the movie-watching experience.

However, there are unexplored territories, especially the ending which left me anticipating a specific revelation. It's a familiar tune but rendered beautifully.

Long ago,Roman Polanski had warned us: beware of the neighbors, beware of those would be friends who ,little by little, work their way in to your intimate world : that was "Rosemary 's baby" and "le locataire " (the tenant ") ;paranoia had also been the subject of "repulsion" .

"D'après une histoire vraie" is psychological drama of the first order : Emmanuelle Seignier is as good as ever but the stand out is her co-star Eva Green : if looks could kill,her piercing green eyes certainly would ; always friendly ,but with something hard ,something threatening ;her motives remain obscure: a doppelganger , a lesbian attraction, something related to family past, a complete unknown in search of fame through an intermediary?

Green goes as far as to look like her victim, adopting her hairdo ( recalling sometimes Claude Chabrol's "les biches " ) .And the ending remains ambiguous ,you can interpret it according to your own sensitivity .

A weakness in the screenplay : the meeting with the librarian :the probability was close to zero! This is minor quibble though.

Writers block ... different edition. But again one, that you may have seen before or even if not, the mood of the movie seems to give away where this is heading. At least generally. If it were all smooth sailing, you wouldn't have a real movie. You need conflict in there, you need something that grips you and the characters in the movie.

Hopefully the right way and the suspension must work too. In this case there are cliches and you may shake your head on how gullyble the main character seems to be. You may very well be annoyed by her behaviour. If that is the case, you may not really enjoy what is coming. But there are things to discover and it still works as mystery thriller. It may not be Polanskis best (or anyone elses), but it's more than decent

Sorry Mr. Polanski, but we've seen this movie before, many times. It's predictable and just as a few others. Nothing new here. Sadly. I watched it since it had your name on it...

Although i am an admirer of both the main actress and the director, this movie was extremely underwhelming for me. It's a psychological thriller/drama of sorts, yet there is no sense of urgency to it and the story is somewhat uninvolving, as no particular emotional connection with the characters is established. We never see what exactly is so bewitching about the character of Delphine - she's a bipolar flat line for most of the movie. The plotting is scattershot and somewhat random; the scenery and the cinematography are typical of a French movie of this kind, although a little too much grey/colorless; the performances are nothing special.

Even if one embraces a metaphorical/hallucinatory reading of the film - for which there are many great arguments - it doesn't make it much more interesting.

A basket full of missed opportunities; wouldn't recommend.