Patrice Leconte's films (L'Homme Du Train, Tango, The Hairdresser's Husband) are often close quarter character studies, intimate affairs, thoughtful and considered. Confidences Trop Intimes is no exception.

It's about a chance encounter, when a financial adviser William Faber (Fabrice Luchini) find himself accepting an unexpected appointment from a mysterious woman Anna (Sandrine Bonnaire), who instantly pours out her personal problems, thinking she's talking to a psychotherapist. Initially, Faber is confused, unable to get a word in, giving the impression of being a good listener and Anna is quick to trust him, unaware that she's confiding in the wrong man. Faber has a dilemma: does he own up that he's not a shrink, or ask her if she needs any investment bonds?

The film is a fascinating study of a professional relationship between strangers. It's erotic, because you sense that their intimate conversations lead naturally to thoughts of sex, which is particularly true in Faber's case. What makes it interesting is the question of dependence and self-denial. Both accept that they like, need and look forward to their weekly meetings. Then its a question of who has the greater need and whether either can, after a while, carry on without the other.

This is a pleasing exercise in the attraction of the confessional - how you might confess more to a stranger than to a loved one and, since conversations and revelations are the key, they could just as well be having an email correspondence, although obviously their meetings involve a certain immediacy.

Thought provoking and intimate - you wonder where the film is going sometimes - it leads ultimately to a pleasant conclusion, unusual but absorbing nevertheless.