Who You Think I Am Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Who You Think I Am Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 13, 2021

A lot of (probably somewhat older) folks had quite possibly never even heard of the term "Catfish", at least insofar as some of its contemporary connotations, before the linked to film with that name appeared, and the whole idea of someone pretending to be someone else either on social media or via other vicarious means probably sounded outright odd, if not indicative of some emotional and/or mental issues. There's absolutely no question that Claire Millaud (Juliette Binoche) suffers from a roiling psyche, since the film opens with her meeting a therapist named Dr. Catherine Bormans (Nicole Garcia). Claire is not especially happy to be seeing Dr. Bormans, since Bormans was a last minute replacement for Claire's "regularly scheduled" therapist, who has had a health emergency. Claire is almost preternaturally despondent, but she also seems kind of angry that she's going to have to "start over" with her litany of life issues to get Bormans up to speed, even if Bormans suggests that this unexpected development may actually turn out to be a positive thing for Claire. In a deliberately disjunctive narrative, Who You Think I Am repeatedly returns to Claire and Bormans discussing Claire's problems, in interstitial vignettes that play almost like Greek Chorus elements as Claire begins to unspool an elaborate tale of "abandonment" (in Claire's verbiage), revenge and pretense.

Claire decides that a good place to start with Dr. Bormans is by telling her about a guy named Ludovic Dalaux (Guillaume Gouix), who is introduced in a brief scene featuring some slightly kinky amorous activity with Claire. He doesn't seem particularly interested in Claire for anything other than sex, though, as evidenced by his quick and kind of curt departure after the act of intimacy, and when Claire tries calling him later and is almost laughed at by Ludo's assistant Alex Chelly (François Civil), Claire is obviously hurt, but also just as obviously angry. While her motives are hinted at by the context, Who You Think I Am may falter just a bit in the early going in that Claire kind of jumps into "catfish" mode whole hog (to mix species), creating a fake Facebook profile and luring Alex into a quasi-relationship (online only), which Claire reveals to Dr. Bormans she did supposedly to make contact with Ludo again.

The fact that Claire is already a divorcée with an ex-husband named Gilles (Charles Berling) and two boys she's still raising adds a bit of emotional context to why Claire has perhaps disproportionate reactions to being more or less dumped by Ludo, and a further revelation about Gilles' dalliances and how one in particular plays into Claire's "adventures" on Facebook add even more weight to the situation. Claire is obviously a walking time bomb, one with a tendency toward obsessive behaviors, and Alex simply seems to be an unwitting pawn in the situation, until events seemingly start to spiral out of control.

In that regard, the front cover of this release includes a pull quote likening aspects of the film to Fatal Attraction, which I personally feel may be pushing it pretty extremely. Instead, I'd liken the underlying "revenge" element here more to psychological head games such as those seen in another film featuring a scorned woman "of a certain age", Gloria Bell, though, again, even that film has a certain lunatic "physical" side to the revenge (in that case, paintballs instead of rabbit stew) that Who You Think I Am completely lacks. And without revealing too much about what transpires, suffice it to say that it turns out Claire is herself as much a victim of circumstance as any of the other characters.

This is an absolute showcase for Juliette Binoche, who mentions in the main supplement accompanying this release that the role is almost like "Russian nesting dolls" which include different personae as things progress (and/or devolve). She's really a marvel of conflicted emotions throughout the film, and her performance brings a visceral intensity to a somewhat muddled narrative that perhaps goes off on a few too many tangents for its own good. That includes an almost Rashomon -esque "alternate reality" dealing with a piece of (therapeutic?) fiction Claire has been writing, as well as a certain subterfuge involving Alex which in hindsight may strike some as being downright cruel not just to Claire but to the audience. A whole sidebar detailing Claire's life as a university professor of literature frankly seems unnecessary. Depending on how individual people may interpret it, there's also an almost perverse sensibility to the film's closing moments that may strike some as being at least somewhat analogous to the closing moments of The Collector.

I'm kind of frankly surprised that Binoche's performance didn't draw more at least festival praise at the time of the film's original release in 2019, but according to the IMDb, the only award Binoche received is for something called Rendez-Vous, with which I'm unfamiliar. Fans of Binoche in particular will probably want to check Who You Think I Am even if some storytelling hurdles intrude from time to time.

Who You Think I Am Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Who You Think I Am is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Media Group with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb lists the Sony CineAlta f65, but fails to disclose the resolution of the DI. I frankly wouldn't be surprised to find out it was 4K, as detail levels are routinely excellent throughout this presentation. While director Safy Nebbou and cinematographer Gilles Porte opt for some intentionally "arty" effects, as can be made out in some of the screenshots accompanying this review, in more prosaic framings and lighting conditions fine detail on everything from fabrics to faces is commendable. The palette emphasizes some evocative blues and purples swirling around Claire at various moments, another stylistic quirk but one that is balanced by more naturalistic moments. I noticed no compression issues.

Who You Think I Am Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Who You Think I Am features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks in the original French, with forced English subtitles. The film's sound design is often pretty subtle, though elements like the expansive score from Ibrahim Maalouf definitely spread into the side and rear channels. Some sequences, like a scene of Claire pretty much stalking Alex in a train station, also offer good opportunities for background clamor to spill into the surrounds. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout.

Who You Think I Am Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Making of Who You Think I Am (HD; 36:19) is an above average EPK with lots of behind the scenes footage and some fun interviews. In French with English subtitles.


• Trailer (HD; 1:45)

Who You Think I Am Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In its own subtly anarchic way, Who You Think I Am may disclose a level of sociopathy that may not be as hyperbolically insane as that evidenced by the Glenn Close character in Fatal Attraction, but which may in fact be even more devastating simply because it's relatively "quieter". Binoche is really a captivating if disturbing presence in this film. Technical merits are solid, and Who You Think I Am comes Recommended.