Liebe und Intrigen

Large, spacious offices with magnificent views, a cluster of seemingly enviably successful business people.Everything is elegant and stylish, clothes and furniture. Almost like a perfect place on earth. But, this is corporate world, thickly populated with useful sociopaths, the lucky ones that made their pathology not only acceptable, but highly profitable. Well, good for them, but not so good for us. Their ruthless and efficient lunacy, transformed our world into new gladiator arena. Survival of the sickest. No room for compassion or decency. Hence the famous mantra of the demonic new ruling class. It's not personal, it's business. Dangerous saying for dangerous times. A permit to maim and slaughter all who are less deserving, and that's everybody, except themselves.Because who works harder doing nothing useful as this coven of warlocks and witches. New horror for the new era.

Someone who says that only men are capable of cruelty has not watched this movie. A fine example of cruelty and a very good movie (with very good actresses as well). I won't spoil anything about the story or the characters, but I can tell you that it is more about the road than the ultimate goal. It isn't very hard to see where this is heading and you might also see what it achieves to do.

Still very well made and executed with the mentioned central performances that are just amazing. The women go head to head (with different style and results of course), which might be enough for you to not see the obvious flaws. It was as you can see and read, enough for me.

In Paris, Christine Rivière (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a tough executive of a French corporation. Her assistant Isabelle Guérin (Ludivine Sagnier) is an intelligent and cunning young woman needy of love and affection. When Isabelle is assigned to travel to Cairo with the lawyer Philippe Deschamps (Patrick Mille) to show her project, her idea is successful and Isabelle and Philippe have one night stand. Back in France, the senior management in the headquarter in Washington congratulates Christine for the project and she does not give the credit to Isabelle. Soon she notes that the manipulative Christine is using her to climb in the corporation. When her secretary Daniel (Guillaume Marquet) shows another project from Washington, Isabelle proposes improvements but does not show them to Christine. They have a meeting with the American executives and Isabelle is congratulated by them. Christine begins a war and humiliates Isabelle first using Philippe that has embezzled a large amount and is in her hands and then in a party. Isabelle plots a scheme and kills Christine at home. However the calculating Isabelle leaves many evidences in the crime scene incriminating herself and does not have an alibi.

"Crime d'amour" is another great French thriller with a good story of ambition, ingratitude and revenge. The two lead actresses, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier, are wonderful and their duel is engaging. The theme, competition in a corporation, is a reality and the viewer will certainly identify characters with real real coworkers or ex-coworkers. The conclusion shows how dangerous is the secretary Daniel. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Crime de Amor" ("Love Crime")

Having watched Sweet Karma earlier tonight, I don't know if I was in the mood for two revenge movies, but this is very different.

A favorite of mine, Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient, Four Wedding and a Funeral) stars with another fave, Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool, 8 Women). They are number one and two in a multinational's Paris location. Christine Thomas) is not above stealing the ideas of Isabelle (Sagnier) to get transferred to New York.

This was director Alain Corneau's last film, and it has already been picked up for a remake by Brian DePalma coming out this year. It is rumored that Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes, Red Eye) and Noomi Rapace (the original Lisbeth Salander) will star.

After Christine threatens and humiliates Isabelle, she plots her revenge. Needless to say, it is an elaborate plot. I can't say anything more or it will spoil the film for you.

It had me on the edge of my seat in the second half.

I enjoyed this movie very much, as I usually enjoy French movies, whether they are comedies or dramas. The look of this film is impeccable, all interiors are exquisitely designed and of top quality as is the photography and the lighting, as perfect as they can get nowadays. The acting is superb and the pacing flawless. I just found among the dubious happenings, a most obvious flaw: Anyone will see immediately that a piece of cloth that was cut quite sharply with an Exacto knife, will get a sharp edge, a look totally different from a piece of the same fabric torn by accident, like getting the fabric caught on a nail or any sharp corner, accident that will practically destroy the edge of that fabric, leaving it completely unraveled. To me that is the most flagrant mistake in the whole script. Otherwise an excellent movie, quite absorbing and entertaining.