Emmanuelle Seigner is perfectly cast as the nervous, slightly untrustworthy, charismatic white rabbit whom Walker is compelled to pursue in order to find his missing wife (she would subsequently marry Polanski and bear him two children). Polanski films Paris as a strangely ordinary, almost impenetrable city, both in contrast and in tandem to the inexplicable overwhelming events surrounding Walker and Michelle.

Unfortunately the Region 4 DVD edition I own is a dreadful transfer with terrible artifacts and poor picture quality. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of deluxe version of the movie yet available on DVD which is a crime, only bare-bones from all region releases. Also, the opening credit sequence is far from enticing, that I must mention. It looks more like the end of some odious Euro B-movie.
Frantic might be nearly as intriguing or resonant as The Tenant (1976), Polanski’s early features, or some of his later work, such as The Ninth Gate (1999) and The Pianist (2002), but it ranks as a very excellent way to spend a rainy afternoon with a croque-madame in front of you and a bottle of Pinot Noir at your side.