Summary
A wealthy business man, Frédéric Delamont, engages a young waiter, Nicolas
Rivière, as his personal food taster. Lured by some serious money, Nicholas
willingly subjugates himself to Delamont’s every whim, giving up smoking and being constantly
at his master’s beck and call. The two men develop a dangerous mutual dependency
for one another, leading to a deadly conclusion...
Review
This is a well-crafted, compelling psychological thriller, the second film to be directed
by the well known French broadcaster and writer Bernard Rapp. Sadistic manipulation
and the psychological dependency that can induce in its victims are the film’s main themes,
explored with chilling realism and immediacy. This is partly down to Rapp’s masterful
direction (heightened by the sombre photography), but it is also the product of some exquisite
performances from the lead actors Bernard Giraudeau and Jean-Pierre Lorit.
Although the film follows a fairly conventional structure, the narrative is cleverly intercut
with a series of flash-forwards involving a judicial investigation. This way, the
film’s outcome is revealed near the start of the film, effectively creating a feeling
of mounting suspense as the story gradually unfolds to explain why things had to end that
way.
The result is a captivating piece of cinema which takes its audience on an unpredictable
journey into the murky subconscious perversity of its self-destructive protagonists.
© James Travers 2001
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