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Love Crime review
:. Director: Alain Corneau
:. Starring: Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas
:. Running Time: 1:44
:. Year: 2011
:. Country: France
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The last film from the late Alain Corneau (Tous les matins du monde, Fort Saganne) had been designed to fulfill one of his obsessions, the making of a perfect crime. While the French director is known on this side of the Atlantic for historical sagas, he is recognized for having a pretty versatile filmography, from dramas to polars such as Police Python 357 and Choice of Arms (both starring singer/actor Yves Montand).
What is however more surprising is the fact that he delivers a tale of female empowerment for his ultimate film, even though his body of work was mostly evolving in a men's world. Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool) is Isabelle, an ambitious executive who gets humiliated one too many times by her boss - and ex-mentor - Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas). She decides to get even with Christine, the finely tuned mechanisms of her machination becoming the center of this film.
Even though, the premise of this movie was originally the orchestration of a perfect crime, which is masterly executed and should provide spectators with a strong dose of excitement while questioning their own morality, Mr. Corneau tackles other themes in the process. First he shows us a world where women are dominant and acting as predators, whether it's in business or in the bedroom. Christine & Isabelle are the two strong characters of this film, surrounded by men that they are controlling and manipulating. They are described as sharper and more effective than men, their rise to executive positions reflecting a trend in today's society.
Mr. Corneau also describes the corporate world as ruthless, corrupted and ego-centered. Psychological games and seduction seem to be what makes business turns and employees get regularly used and sacrificed to allow major players to strengthen or increase their position in the company. What the director tells us through the two central characters is that this is a self-destructive strategy and that, in the end, they will fall victims of their own rules while the company will replace them.
What makes Love Crime a more vicious work than most crime thrillers is the fact that it twists your values, making you admire and root for the bad character, an approach that has proved to be successful with films and TV shows such as The Godfather, Scarface, The Sopranos, The Shield and Dexter - among others. Mr. Corneau's picture might however allow the spectator to get even closer to Isabelle than to all the Tony Montana and Dexter, because they can easily identify with her character - who hasn't been humiliated and been wanting to indulge in revenge impulses?
Ms. Sagnier and Ms. Scott Thomas can certainly be credited for making the whole thing work, both actresses somewhat stretching beyond their typical boundaries, going from good to evil, seduction to hatred. Mr. Corneau's direction is fluid and minimalist, centered on his characters and reflecting Isabelle' sense of perfection and Christine's sophistication in the settings - look at their respective homes! ove Crime ends on a somewhat discordant note - at least for Isabelle - emphasizing the power of corruption, whether it's on the characters or on the spectators who enjoyed this Love Crime to the fullest.
Fred Thom
 Reviews of French Movies: 2012 - present
French Films: 1998 - 2011 Reviews
French Music Reviews
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