a super and unusual film from audiard and read my lip be a pulpy and lonely heart thriller . it perfect for the handsomely grizzled charisma of vincent cassel and feature a marvellously contain performance from emanuelle devos . devos be a recur feature of audiard in the same way that karin viard pop up for jean pierre jeunet represent unconventionally beautiful ( she refer to by everyone a unattractive in this film ) and versatile and capable of a subordinate profile . this be almost the definition of her role a carla and a put upon office dogsbody and taunt by colleague exploit her deafness . yet she find an ami dexploitation and if you like in cassel ex con paul . each exploit the other unconventional talent ( theft and lip reading ) to struggle through their respective situation and form an unconventionally romantic rapprochement . devos or audiard manage carla deafness and it attendant and warp inner world with discreet and stylish flair . in this film ( 2001 ) audiard be already clearly in control of his handle on tension and action and invest his frame with a truly visceral experience which will become the great hit a prophet of nine year later . positive .