Frantic

The most lasting consequence of this film is not on screen. Roman Polanski worked with Emmanuelle Seigner for the first time here, and she later became his wife. The premise is simple and deliberately kept that way. An American doctor arrives in Paris with his wife for a conference. At the hotel they realise they took the wrong suitcase from the airport; he showers, and when he comes out she is gone. What follows is a man without the language, alone against the indifference of the police, the embassy and the hotel staff. Polanski shows none of the tourist Paris. The film happens on rooftops, in car parks, in nightclubs and in suburban flats. The score is by Ennio Morricone. Harrison Ford's performance is worth noting: not a hero, but a man who is always slightly late and consistently misunderstood. Betty Buckley and Dominique Pinon are also in the cast. Who it is for: viewers who like the Hitchcock template slowed down and made realistic, where the protagonist's helplessness actually registers. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a tight finish. The setup is far stronger than the resolution, and the last section drops into an ordinary chase.