Grausames Spiel

A serial killer and caring but abusive father. His disabled daughter and their relationship.

Bruno Cremer is purely awesome, terrific in this role that seemed to have been written especially for him by his friend Jean Claude Brisseau with whom he had already made another movie: DE BRUIT ET DE FUREUR. I am sure that a father daughter relationship has never been shown in such a way. Nasty, disturbing, depressing, a character symphony totally unpredictable and certainly not destined to wide audiences. It deserves to be considered as a cult movie. Acting is not always adequate by we don't really care about that becaause, I repeat, this plot is unique, under the condition that you are prepared to watch it. If not, you may feel dizzy or at least more that puzzled. For instance, it is impossible to feel empathy for this poor disabled girl who finds pleasure torturing animals.... And I enjoyed the clockwork sound during many scenes.... It brings rythm to the movie.

Brisseau is The French Haneke.Like the Austrian director,his characters are beyond any moral. Cremer portrays a scientist who is also a serial killer.He's got a disabled daughter whom he treats like a dog because "she's still a beast ,only the hard way can turn her into a human being". Both hold a grudge against the whole world -the love the girl feels for Pascal will be short-lived- and the father/killer seems to use expiatory victims.This is a bleak disturbing movie which was largely ignored during the eighties but which still retains a small cult following.

Avoid if you are down in the dumps.Or if you are an Eric Rohmer fan.