At once sly comedy and tense thriller In the House is a story about storytelling; about what can happen when we get lost inside a life that isn’t ours. It’s fiction about life that becomes fiction that might be life.
“The great Fabrice Luchini stars as Germain, a bored English teacher. One day, his student Claude hands in a paper in which he describes being in his friend Rapha’s house, seeing things not intended for a visitor’s eyes. Germain chastises him, but Claude continues to
write about what he sees in the house: his attraction to Rapha’s mother, the troubles of Rapha’s father, the “middle-class” life of the family. Germain becomes fascinated — as does his wife, Jeanne, reading over his shoulder. Worlds collide, truth mingles with writerly embellishment, and Germain starts popping up in Claude’s stories.
“It’s layer upon layer, and it’s a pleasure, particularly Kristen Scott Thomas’ gimlet-eyed Jeanne. At the end, we’re reminded that behind every window is a story — and that Claude will surely be peeking behind another curtain, on another day.” - The Seattle Times
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