MovieChat Forums > Au coeur du mensonge (1999) Discussion > Solid work!

Solid work!

posted 18 years ago by jolypm
3 replies | jump to latest

So blue is the color of a lie... Great idea! The movie is all tinted in blue. The best blue symbol of this theme is the velvet dress wore by Bonnaire... It is also the symbol of her infidelity to her husband and her betrayal... The film is directed by a pro... but I did not like this sort of documentary-style for filming the whole story... Jacques Gamblin as the husband is really good. As for Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, the comment by a viewer saying that she is no good and that she has an impossible voice is right and wrong. She is good but her voice is nil. Difficult to understand what she is saying... Boy, she should work on this with a voice teacher! The movie is also too long... but basically when you re-think about the whole plot and how it has been done you cannot help but realize that it is a solid work of filmmaking signed by a master!

[–] Sleepless_84 17 years ago

I agree , it's more psychological than crime movie , also the actors are great ( especially Gamblin and Beautiful Sadrine Bonnaire )

[–] MrEdnablackadder 11 years ago

I think this is one of Chabrol's best offerings, which (contrary to popular belief) often seem to come from the second half of his career. Visually it's stunning: I really love how everything's blue, from the sea to the paintings, the décors, the TV studios, the clothes. A particuarly beautiful shot is the one where Bonnaire wears that dress that perfectly matches the colour of the lamp standing behind her.

I'm afraid I have to agree with all that has been said about Valeria Bruni Tedeschi though: she basically acts like her sister sings, meaning inaudibly and execrably. Least convincing police officer ever. Pity Chabrol diminished the movie with such a devastating casting mistake: to think that for once we had the luck that he didn't use his ex-wife (he could have easily given her Ogier's role)!

Said that, a brilliant work. Loved all the other actors, particularly Sandrine and Bulle.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 10 years ago

Nice post OP and one that sums up many of my feelings regarding the film. It is slow and was not interesting enough at points for me. But boy it was beautiful and the acting mostly good.

I saw another film with Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi and didn't like her in that either. She's not my sort of actress at all and her voice lacks any depth. Having said that I thought she gathered some momentum as a steely interviewer who seems to know the truth and is waiting for her suspects to confess. She reminded me a little of Gillian Anderson in this respect.

I give my respect to those who have earned it; to everyone else, I'm civil.