Une fille coupée en deux
The latest from
the Georges Simenon of French film making, veteran Claude Chabrol. Specialist in mysteries set in a particular
class of people, this story of a murder among the rich and the influential in
Lyon fits into his pattern. Two men, old
roué writer Charles Saint-Denis who is a user and hedonist and young and crazy
heir Paul Gaudens battle for the love of attractive weather girl Gabrielle
Deneige. The film is about all she has
to learn about the way the world and people in their own worlds work. What
starts as a light romance ends up as a rather lugubrious tragedy. Good acting from several in the cast. Ludivine Sagnier has a great cinematic face
and is quite believable in her role, Benoit Magimel 
enjoys creating the screwed
up Paul Gaudens, Caroline Silhol 
does a great job of his tense and ultimately
ruthless mother and Mathilde May 
as the writer’s agent makes a welcome return
to my screen at least.
The ending is
somewhat off-putting but the film is decent enough overall to merit watching
even if it is very much the same type of film Chabrol always makes.
*
* * +
