Wednesday, June 29, 2011
CHABROL FEST
I am going to be watching a number of films by
over the next couple of weeks.
Chabrol is one of the first
directors and worked mostly on mysteries and thrillers. He was an ardent student of Hitchcock. But, as a new wave guy, his films look or feel nothing like Hitchcock's which were almost all on built sets and extremely script driven. I think it is the psychology of the thing which matches up.
Today's film was Chabrol's very last movie
with Gerard Dépardieu as the peripatetic inspector who can't give up a little investigation while on vacation.
The film is quite charming and gentle as Chabrol's later films became with many aphorisms and observations of life. An old man's summing up.
And in the heart of it is a case of murder or assisted suicide depending on who you believe.
As in many of Chabrol's films, the journey is the destination.
I enjoyed it very much. Dépardieu fits the role beautifully. Wry and gentle when he needs to be. Tough and relentless when he must. There is also a side story about the inspector's brother who is more a black sheep of the family.
I would not mind seeing it again and will give it a 4 out of Netflx5.
Labels: films
