Maelström (DVD, 2003) for sale online

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This unusual gem of a film is a gorgeously conceived and well-executed morality tale, narrated by a gory, blood-smeared, dying fish. This choice of a narrator may seem bizarre, and is certainly unusual, but somehow it works perfectly in the film--it creates a gothic fairy tale atmosphere, and adds a dash of humor to what is a difficult, grim story. The film begins with a graphic scene of the heroine, Bibi (Marie-Josee Croze), getting an abortion. Bibi's guilt feelings are multiplied tenfold when on a rainy night soon thereafter, she accidentally hits a man and drives off, leaving him to die. Her sophisticated life as the successful owner of a chic boutique and heiress of a famous father's fortune begins to swiftly and spectacularly unravel. After she survives a suicide attempt, Bibi's guilt has still not been alleviated, and she decides to track down the body of the man she killed. At the morgue, she runs into the dead man's son, who asks her to stay with him while he sorts through his father's possessions. The son ends up falling in love with Bibi, but she remains consumed with guilt over what is now her terrible secret. All of the film's acting, but especially the difficult part of Bibi, is done with beauty and sensitivity. The film's lush photography at times hearkens back to director Villeneuve's music video work, but its stylish quality always serves the story's needs. This poetic tale of moral responsibility and despair is a uniquely haunting, must-see film.