Its story ignites when a stranger named Boris (Nicolas Cazale), arrives at the villa of a wealthy family on holiday, explaining that he is a former schoolmate and friend of their wayward son and brother, Philip. This is when things get fascinating, and a heatwave of tension begins to smolder.
As the family opens up their home and dinner table to the presumptive friend of their erstwhile relative, storm clouds of familial angst begin to form. Contributing to it is the two sisters' rivalry for Boris’ attention, which heats up in humorous and sometimes dramatic fashion.
The younger of the two sisters, Julie (Laura Smet) is single and ready to mingle. While older sister Vanessa (Anne Caillon) is a wife and mother, who wants to prove to herself and her sister that she still has “it.”
What “UV” manages to do with excellent acumen is sidestep any specific genre. As in life, there are funny and dour moments, each entertaining in their own right.
The suspenseful question at the forefront of the plot is whether Boris is really who he claims to be. The notion is cleverly played for both lighthearted comedy and dramatic darkness, depending on what you believe his motivations for telling such a lie would be.
Vanessa's husband is the heir apparent to the throne of his marital family empire, and Andre-Pierre (Pascal Elbe) is skeptical of Boris' arrival. Is he onto something? The audience is kept guessing until the last minute. Such sinister possibilities are not presented in the manner of an in-your-face suspense piece. Opting instead for the approach of a realistically taught mystery.
"UV" is more-so a character study than an outright thriller. Its tension hinges on interpersonal family dynamics, female rivalry, and the awkward ingredient of a house guest whose intentions are as challenging to surmise, as the duration of his stay.
Director Gilles Paquet-Brenner infuses “UV” with the scorching intensity of the sun its characters love to bask in. He gradually turns up the heat by ratcheting up every nuanced undercurrent of brewing conflict. The tension only rises as the movie's characters reach their boiling point. How a movie that takes such a lackadaisical pace can be so engaging is a testament to its characters and the dazzling cast that portrays them.
Thanks to its proper set-up, Paquet-Brenner captures the malaisical intrigue of a film leisurely working to entertain without inducing boredom. The execution of such a feat is tricky, and in classic French style, it more than manages.
That is because such an approach closely resembles real life, rather than the cliché and fantastical formulas that often prohibit an audience from entirely losing themselves in a cinematic daydream.
The performances are tremendous. Laura Smet and Anne Caillon sell their sisterly bond and sibling rivalry with equal vigor. Nicolas Cazale blazes onto the screen as Boris with ample charisma as a playboy seemingly too good to be true.
Tying the film together is the performance of Pascal Elbe as Vanessa's humorously frustrated husband, Andre-Pierre. Elbe's characterization of the single-minded family protector is marvelously entertaining and he and Cazale spring off each other in a screen, tête-à-tête that is riveting to watch.
Meanwhile, Marthe Keller brings genuine maternal warmth to the film’s atmosphere as the family matriarch. Finding this much talent in one film is a rare and pleasant treasure.
Staying out of the sun can be positive for a person’s health. Fortunately, the rays of “UV” are not hazardous. In fact, they could prove to be quite the opposite.
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