La Rupture

Rating:
Summary: Not Chabrol's Best
Review: Claude Chabrol is often credited as being the French version of Alfred Hitchcock, to some extent that is true, but Chbarol has his own style.

Chabrol's films are very bubtle. No gratuitous nude scenes, no extreme violence, no explosions, and yet his films linger in your mind. They leave their mark. That's one of the problems I have with this Claude Chabrol film.

He is too forceful. He doesn't let the material speak for itself. Chabrol is trying too hard to convince us what we are watching is exciting.

I enjoy the work of Claude Chabrol. He is one of my favorite directors. Of his "classic" films I enjoy "Les Biches" and "Le Boucher" the most, followed by "The Unfaithful Wife". They each move at the subtle pace I'm talking about.

Watch those movies or even Chabrol's most recent "Merci pour le Chocolat" and tell me those movies weren't more subtle.

This film along with "Innocent With Dirty Hands" (which I prefer) are almost like "America" thrillers. They are much more over-the-top than I find Chabrol's other works.

"La Rupture" starts off with a violent domestic dispute between Helene (Stephane Audran) and Charles (Jean-Claude Drouot). She leaves with her son and decides it's time to get a divorce.

Charles' parents are upset and decide they will fight back and try to take away all visitation rights from Helene.

Now Helene has a questionable past and Charles' parents (including Michel Bouquet) send someone to spy on her to get some incriminating evidence. This is all starting to sound like a political witchhunt (Pick your president).

As I watched "La Rupture" my mind kept going back to the first scene. I woundered why did the fight happen. One of the mistakes Chabrol makes is by not giving us enough information about the husband. I thought the husband was just as important as the wife because I thought a dramatic connection would be made between the two and a great secret would be revealed. But Chabrol had other plans and we are left with subtle and mild hints about Charles' past.

Although I find faults in this film, don't think I'm bashing it. I enjoy the film to some degree. The movie does have some good moments, plus Stephane Audran, as usual, is quite watchable. She does her best to hold the film together.

"La Rupture" perhaps if made by someone else my have impressed me more, but, I know Chabrol's work. I know what he is capable of, and "La Rupture", while at times enjoyable, is not his most effective film.

Bottom-line: Not up to par with Chabrol's other film. Too forceful and "in your face". Doesn't have the mysterious touch other films like "Les Biches" and "The Unfaithful Wife" had.

Rating:
Summary: Hmmm... That summary leaves a bit to be desired...
Review: Excellent Chabrol film --- probably the best introduction to the director. I'm suprised and very happy that this is out on video at a sell-through price. For some inexplicable reason, no one seems to talk much about this film. It's extremely absorbing and quite beautiful to look at though. Stephane Audran is particularly charming in this movie, although some have thought her to be a bit sophisticated for the part. A silly criticism, I think. The colors in this movie are absolutely amazing --- everything somehow dayglo and hyperrealistic at the same time. I think Philip K. Dick fans would in particular get a kick out of this film. It's organized similarly to his novels... Everything just gets more and more disjointed until reality has almost completely broken down. The denouement is pretty darned funny, too. A film that more folks should see, it'll add to your appreciation of Chabrol's other films too.

Rating:
Summary: Hmmm... That summary leaves a bit to be desired...
Review: Excellent Chabrol film --- probably the best introduction to the director. I'm suprised and very happy that this is out on video at a sell-through price. For some inexplicable reason, no one seems to talk much about this film. It's extremely absorbing and quite beautiful to look at though. Stephane Audran is particularly charming in this movie, although some have thought her to be a bit sophisticated for the part. A silly criticism, I think. The colors in this movie are absolutely amazing --- everything somehow dayglo and hyperrealistic at the same time. I think Philip K. Dick fans would in particular get a kick out of this film. It's organized similarly to his novels... Everything just gets more and more disjointed until reality has almost completely broken down. The denouement is pretty darned funny, too. A film that more folks should see, it'll add to your appreciation of Chabrol's other films too.

Rating:
Summary: to go beyond
Review: I liked this movie. It made a strong impact on me and brought meaning to past conversations and what it means to "go beyond."