En toute innocence
1988 Crime / Drama / Thriller
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Credits
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Summary
Paul Duchène and his son Thomas run an architectural business from their country
estate. One day, Paul returns home to find Thomas’ wife, Catherine, making love
with one of his business associates. In a rage, Paul drives away in his car at full
speed, and crashes into a lorry. Although he survives the accident, he is wheelchair
bound and appears not to be able to speak. Catherine tries to make peace with him,
but he refuses, and an air of quiet hostility pervades the household. Convinced
that his sister-in-law intends to kill him, Paul decides the time has come for him to
take his revenge...
Review
Alain Jessua produced and directed this disturbing psychological suspense-drama which
bears a close similarity to some of Claude Chabrol’s darker thrillers. Whilst neither
the characters nor the plot are as well thought out as they need to be for the film to
be totally effective, Jessua succeeds in conveying a mood of suppressed hatred and paranoid
suspicion, evoking the style and feel of some of Hitchcock’s best work. Michel Serrault
and Nathalie Baye are well-cast as a duo engaged in a deadly mind game and give some great
performances. Serrault conveys manic paranoia as well as Baye portrays repressed
anger and a sinister dual-natured personality. Like Chabrol, Jessua takes pleasure
in mocking the well-heeled middle classes. The film revolves around a seemingly
serene Bourgois family, where everyone appears calm, settled and content. In reality,
the ready smiles merely conceal pent-up resentment, frustration and disillusionment.
It is like a bomb primed to explode at any moment...
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