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Cette femme-là
2003 Crime / Drama / Thriller
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Credits
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Director: Guillaume Nicloux
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Script: Guillaume Nicloux
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Photo: Pierre-William Glenn
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Music: Éric Demarsan, Fabio Viscogliosi
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Cast: Josiane Balasko (Michèle Varin),
Eric Caravaca (Sylvain Bazinsky),
Ange Rodot (Léo Kopmans),
Aurélien Recoing (L'homme de l'identité judiciaire),
Frédéric Pierrot (Daniel),
Thierry Lhermitte (François
Manéri),
Didier Abot (Homme bus),
Dominique Bettenfeld (Dalton 2),
Pascal Bongard (Evens),
Corinne Debonnière (Catherine)
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Country: France
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Language: French
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Runtime: 100 min
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Aka: Hanging Offense; That Woman
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Summary
When the body of an old woman is found hanging from a tree in a forest, police inspector
Michèle Varin starts an investigation that might well be the death of her.
For the past few years, she had lived alone, constantly lamenting the premature death
of her son. Thoughts of suicide haunt her and provoke a series of horrific nightmares.
Her investigation takes a darker turn when her amiable young colleague dies, apparently
having shot himself in the head…
Review
Cette femme-là builds on director Guillaume
Nicloux’s previous forays into the policier genre, Le
Pouple (1998) and Une
affair privée (2002). Just as the latter film cast actor Thierry Lhermitte
in a new light - in a tough dramatic role - so this film gives actress Josiane Balasko
the same treatment. Those who are used to Balsko’s extrovert comic persona will
be surprised by her apparent transformation in this film, for here she has to play a hard,
emotionally crippled and rather pathetic middle aged cop whose only companion is a terminally
ill bunny rabbit. It’s a very creditable performance, harrowingly introspective
and contributing greatly to the intensely dark, claustrophobic and hopelessly pessimistic
mood of the piece.
In stark contrast to most French thrillers, the story is told from the perspective
of its central character (the role played by Balasko). What makes this particularly interesting
is that this character has severe psychological problems, so that the boundary between
reality and imagination is often blurred and logical coherence is lacking. This unsettling
impression is brought home by some skilful noir cinematography which, whilst relying a
little too much on familiar stock horror film clichés, manages to evoke a terrifying
world of shadows and lurking threats, the world as seen by Balasko's character as she
undergoes a process of mental collapse brought on by guilt, loneliness and overwork.
If the film has a fault it is that the grim, nihilist feel is too relentless, too
oppressive, so that, after a while, it becomes monotonous. The deficiencies
in the plotting and characterisation become apparent in the second half of the film, with
secondary characters reduced to vague expressionist sketches, lacking any tangible presence.
Whilst it may not be a wholly original idea, the merging of reality and nightmares is
effectively done, to the point that at the end of the film you are left wondering whether
the entire drama wasn’t just a bad dream. It isn't perfect, but, thanks mainly to
Josiane Balasko's contribution, it is certainly an absorbing and stylish film, a chilling
melange of urban horror and the traditional French polar.
© James Travers 2007
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