NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU: From France, via FRF, comes Gérald Hustache-Mathieu's honey of a funny, sweet murder mystery

What a delightful mash-up of genres is NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU (original title: Poupoupidou, and if that reminds you of a certain Miss Monroe and a song she sang in Some Like It Hot, it's quite intentional). Combining a murder mystery (the film opens with someone finding the dead body of a gorgeous young woman), life in a small provincial town (Mouthe, said to be the coldest place in France), politics and power, psychology and the vicissitudes of book publishing, neo-noir and Marilyn Monroe, this nifty, juicy and truly unusual entertainment from writer/director Gérald Hustache-Mathieu takes the Monroe legend and turns it into something original that far outdoes the rather standard but perfectly enjoyable My Week With Marilyn that debuted to much hoo-hah (but not much box-office) last year. This movie won't be raking in the cash, either (it's subtitled -- and bizarre) but for film buffs who revel in something different done well, it's a must-see. And don't worry: Odd as it is, the film will prove perfectly accessible to any intelligent audience.

M. Hustache-Mathieu, shown at right, with some writing help from Juliette Sales, has crafted a tale of a successful mystery writer, down on his luck, ability and income, who, while driving through a small town gets ensnared into the life (recently ended) of a local TV weather girl. This late young lady, born Martine Langevin but rechristened Candice Lecoeur, either thought she was the reincarnation of Marilyn, or simply has a heavy-duty Monroe complex. Either way, she has (er, had) become the very model of her heroine, a look-alike, act-alike, sing-alike replica of the va-va-voom actress in all her glory, right down to the calendar poses (see poster, top, and still, below) and the diva-cum-little-girl attitude she couldn't help but flaunt.

As played by the marvelous French actress Sophie Quinton, who, each time we see her -- Who Killed Bambi?, Angel of Mine, and the upcoming One Night (formerly titled 38 Witnesses) -- appears more beautiful, versatile and talented, this strange, sweet, sad young woman is something else. No slam on Michelle Williams, who I thought did a lovely job as Marilyn, Ms Quinton's version is bolder, stronger and richer -- for she is required to play two roles: her own and someone else's, while making the two work together. She handles the job with remarkable ease and flair. All her scenes are flashbacks, of course, and yet taken together they -- and she -- fill out her role and character beautifully.

The rest of the large cast, down to the bit players are fine and fun but there are only two other major roles: The writer -- played by a fellow I've seen a few times but until now has never stood out -- Jean-Paul Rouve (above, left, with Quinton's image), and the very funny and charming "Brigadier" Leloup who is, I gather, something like an assistant in the police department. Leloup, a wonderfully complete and unique character is played by Guillaume Goiux (shown on the bottom bench, below), a very good actor whom I've seen only a few times in minor roles. He certainly comes into his own here: He's funny, sweet, sexy and dear, with his own full-frontal scene that he fills out as well as he does all else.

This film, in fact, has a couple of full-frontal male nude scenes -- both done with surprise, charm and fun. Those three words pretty well describe the movie itself and what you'll get from it. You'll also get a plot stuffed with twists and turns, red herrings and lovely winter snow scenes. The denouement offers up its own little surprise: a sad and ironic one that will send you out of the theater with a smile -- and maybe just a hint of a tear. If only... Nice work, M. Hustache-Mathieu!

Comparisons have been made of this film to those of the Coen Brothers and David Lynch. I realize that this may be good a marketing ploy, but really, there is almost no link to legitimately be made to those fine filmmakers -- both of whom have their own styles and idiosyncrasies. But so has this newer kid on the block. Just because a movie is different or because it combines death and laughs, let's not immediately feel the need to bring up the Coens or Lynch. Hustache-Mathieu has his own sensibility and a real film buff will appreciate this for what it is, rather is going for those odious comparisons.

From First Run Features, with a running time of 102 minutes, Nobody Else But You is a pleasant change from FRF's usual array of end-of-times documentaries. Not that we don't need them, FRF. Keep 'em coming, please, but also keep giving us the occasional "fun" film now and again. The movie opens this Friday, May 11, in New York City at the Cinema Village, and in Seattle at Landmark's Varsity Theater. In the weeks to come it will play another dozen locations across the country; click here to see all currently scheduled playdates, cities and theaters.

GOOD NEIGHBORS opens--Jacob Tierney's naughty, black "crimedy" from Canada

Last year Canadian writer/director/actor Jacob Tierney, gave us a mostly unheral-ded but fun little social/political comedy called The Trotsky (my review is here). This year he's back with another small film that, though it stars two good "Trotsky" actors, is a world away from the sweet and giddy joys of the earlier movie. That said, Tierney's new GOOD NEIGHBORS (ironic title!) arrives packed to the brim with some dark delights of its own.

"It's a terrible world we're living in," notes the inspector who pays a visit to the apartment house in which these good neighbors reside. And so it would certainly seem. Tierney, shown at right, has filled his film with bizarre and discombobu-lated subsidiary characters -- including some terrific cats you could die for -- but it is his three central characters who really seal the deal. There's a the goofy, can't-shut-up newcomer (Jay Baruchel, below, right), the angry-all-the-time young woman (Emily Hampshire, below, center) for whom he carries a noticeable torch, and the actively unpleasant, cold-as-ice fellow (Scott Speedman, below, left) who becomes the sort of ringmaster to the goings-on. Let's call them the twit, the snit and the shit.

Mr. Tierney has a very interesting visual plan for his film (the cinematography is by the great Guy Dufaux: Stardom, Léolo, Jesus of Montreal), so Good Neightbors looks quite elegant-on-a-budget and is generally great fun to watch. The music is well-chosen, too. Set up into sections that are titled by the month we're in (it's all fall and winter, cold and colder) the movie divides basically into set-up, connection and climax.

The less said about plot the better, but I guess it won't hurt to know that a serial killer is loose in the city and that our three friends and their neighbors are all interested in this fact. Where the movie goes -- and how -- is bizarre and ugly. And yet there's a layer of very dark humor over the proceedings, and a sense, almost, of a kind of exercise going on here.

This sense we get of the author/filmmaker pulling strings has a dual effect. It keeps you distanced and less invested emotionally, so that you can chuckle during some of the nasty stuff that might ordinarily make you blanch. On the other hand, why should we care about any of these people? Finally, we don't. Tierney has adapted his screenplay from the novel Chere voisine by Chrystine Brouillet, so perhaps there was more real feeling within her pages than appears on screen.

Still, the performances are fine within this rather circumscribed framework: Baruchel (below, left) is gloriously goofy, Hampshire (above) finds all sorts of original ways to be annoyed, while Speedman (two photos above) is cold and sexy. There is plenty here to keep you glued, including two striking murder set pieces, one seen at a great distance, another up-close-and-very-personal. Like the inspector says, it is a terrible world. Thank god, it's only a movie, the black-comedic heart of which beats ice-cold.

Good Neighbors, 96 minutes long and from Magnolia Pictures, opens this Friday, July 29, in Los Angeles at Laemmle's Sunset 5, and in New York City at the Quad Cinema.  For other playdates, cities and theaters, click here. As with many Magnolia-released movies, this one, too, is playing via VOD. Click here to learn how you can get it -- and other titles.