Rafaël Ouellet's Derrière moi (Behind Me) can be considered as the perfect exemple of what is going on outside of the mainstream circle. His second film had it's world premiere at TIFF in the prestigious Vanguard category and was later screened at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Besides that, the sense of continuity between Derrière moi and Le cèdre penché, Ouellet's first work, establishes the director as a new and personnal voice in Quebecois cinema.
Be very careful with the reviews and synopsises of Derrière moi available online. Most of them spoil the ending right, destroying a heavy mystery that slowly reveals itself throughout the film. But if you already know what territory Ouellet explores, you should be able to enjoy the film for it's suspense and subtle performances from the two lead actresses.
Trying to take a break from the city, Betty, a charming dark-haired femme fatale, decides to spend a few days in a quiet village. While wandering, she meets Léa, a shy adolescent who works at her grandmother's snack-bar. The young girl is immediately impressed by the friendly stranger. Betty’s extreme urban lifestyle is the complete opposite to Léa’s boring existence in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully for the teenager, her new friend is ready to introduce her to experiences she couldn’t even imagine being possible. Without knowing it, Léa is slowly falling into a web of seduction.
Like Polanski’s A Knife in the Water, Derrière moi doesn’t have a lot of action to offer, but as the film goes on, a strong psychological tension emerges from the conflictual relationship between the main characters. The closer Betty brings Léa to the darkness, the harder it is for the viewer to keep looking at the screen. The story being believable makes it even more hard to take.
Following Le cèdre penché’s steps, the casting mixes professionnals actors with actual residents from the city where the story takes place. The result isn’t as successful thought. While leading ladies Carine Caputo and Charlotte Legault are truly impressive, their interactions with the rest of the cast breaks the naturalism the film is trying to get. Luckily, Ouellet focuses mostly on scene where his actresses are by themselves on the screen. The meeting between maturity and innocence, trust and treachery is nicely incarnated by their introverted performances.
On a technical point of view, Derrière moi offers images closer to documentary filmmaking than fiction. The camera follows the characters without being omnipresent. Sure, the composition is beautiful, but never takes us away from the story.
It is quite a pleasure to discover such a successful crossbreeding between auteur film and nail-biting thriller. Derrière moi is a hopeless walk into the night that becomes so gripping we secretely smile when it’s over. It’s an unpleasent ride, but that’s what makes it a great movie.