Read My Lips 2002

Carla Behm, portrayed by Emmanuelle Devos, is a young woman diligently working as an administrative aid in a Real Estate office. Despite being essential to the success of property acquisitions and developments, she often finds herself overlooked and underappreciated by her male colleagues. With her profoundly attractive yet plain demeanor, Carla faces challenges stemming from her hearing impairment, relying on a hearing aid to engage in conversations. Nevertheless, her remarkable skill in reading lips allows her to immerse herself in the lives of those around her, often leaving her feeling isolated.

Craving emotional connection, Carla vicariously experiences romance through her friend Annie, played by Olivia Bonamy, who shares captivating stories of her sexual adventures. While juggling her responsibilities, Carla frequently babysits Annie’s child, allowing Annie the freedom to pursue clandestine meetings with various men. When the demands of her job become overwhelming, Carla seeks assistance from a temp agency, which sends Paul Angeli, played by Vincent Cassel, for an interview. It quickly becomes evident that Paul lacks the qualifications essential for the role, as he is a recently released convict on parole.

Intrigued by Paul’s rebellious nature, Carla makes the bold decision to hire him, even going as far as to find him housing. Their relationship takes a complicated turn when Paul makes an inappropriate advance, only to be rebuffed as Carla prefers to showcase him at social gatherings, determined to impress her friends. Within the chaotic realm of Real Estate, one of the upper-level agents exploits Carla’s hard work to snatch a lucrative deal right before she is set to finalize it, thus thwarting her aspirations of recognition and promotion.

In a twist of fate, Carla resorts to blackmailing Paul, enlisting him to steal the necessary files and safeguard her interests, with the goal of securing the deal and ousting the unscrupulous agent. However, Paul’s past catches up with him when a crime boss demands his allegiance under the threat of violence. Despite this setback, Paul finds support in Carla, who manipulates the work records to make it seem like he is still employed at the office. As the story unfolds, their paths intertwine further when Paul uncovers an impending crime deal and enlists Carla to utilize her lip-reading skills, leading them to a shocking discovery of a significant cache of stolen money.