Barracuda

I am sad to have to comment this French movie, but : Guillaume Canet is bad as actor and bad as director, everyone knows that here in France. Jean Rochefort is a well-known good actor: why did he accept to act in this crap??? Only for money i suppose. Director Philippe Haim heavily underlines every action with a heavy music of composer Philippe Haim. Splash splash splash... Poor screenplay (the idea is not bad, but his treatment is boring), poor, even ridiculous French dialogs, heavy and pompous staging, please avoid this very bad movie. This is not French cinema, just a bad taste farcical "grand-guignol" waste of time and energy.

Beware of neighbors!That's Rosemary's story,and that's the tenant's story,two great Polanski films.The camera tricks recall the Pole's style too.

"Barracuda" could have been filmed stage drama,since we do not go out of Rochefort's flat,but the director manages to give a cinematographic feel to it.Clement's character is not that much original however:he is akin to Norman Bates and Chabrol's hero in "les fantômes du chapelier"(1982).He has a fixation on Fred Astaire,and sometimes it's difficult to see the connection with what he does.When he captures and confines Luc,it works and it's suspenseful ,but superficially.That's what's it's not really Hitchcockian:in the Master's greatest movies,the Freudian mother rules (see "notorious","strangers on a train","psycho","the birds" "Marnie")What's lacking here is Clement's psychology:why does he do that?because he wants a son?because his solitude has become too unbearable?because,he's grown embittered ?because he's a frustrated gay?Except for his tastes for musicals,and his wife's death,we know absolutely nothing from Clement and it takes all Jean Rochefort's talent to make it credible.Guillaume Canet is very efficient too,and it was not an easy task to play opposite to such a veteran.

"Barracuda" is no masterpiece,but it's an interesting movie for suspense buffs ,and ,in spite of an unsatisfying ending, it'll give you a good share of scares.And if a new neighbor invites you in,think twice....

This impressive debut feature from Philippe Haim is a stylish realisation of one of our worst nightmares, that of being trapped and at the mercy of a lunatic.

Just as Kathy Bates was inspired casting as Annie Wilkes in Rob Reiner's similarly themed 'Misery' so Haim has the great good fortune to have secured the services of veteran Jean Rochefort as Monsieur Clément. The character is a monster to be sure but as one would expect from this superlative artiste he has succeeded in arousing our sympathy. We do not know the source of his particular brand of insanity and are left to conjecture whether it be caused by protracted solitude, excessive loneliness or the desperate need for love. Some have detected a hint of homoeroticism but that of course is down to the individual viewer.

Guillaume Canet plays the hapless victim and one cannot fail to sympathise with the physical pain, mental torture and all-round debasement that he is obliged to endure.

The director's own score together with excellent art/production design, an all pervading sense of claustrophobia, touches of black humour and the dynamic between the two principles combine to make this piece eminently watchable.

This is a rather creepy black comedy about madness and deceit. After seeing this film you won't be so trusting. It makes me think of that saying '"come into my parlour" said the spider to the fly.'

The story begins in an apartment occupied by an eccentric old man named Clement. On nearly every wall of the apartment are portraits of Fred Astaire. It soon becomes clear that Clement is a mentally unbalanced recluse living in a fantasy world.

Luc is a young cartoonist who has just moved into an apartment across the hallway. With grand plans to sail around the world and start a family, Luc's life is normal and happy until he makes a fatal mistake. He runs into his elderly neighbour and agrees to meet his "wife".

"Barracuda" follows Luc's plight as he becomes the unwilling "son" of Clement. The film is quite engrossing as we see how Luc tries to escape from his tap-dancing captor. We see what goes on in Clement's mind as he has conversations with Fred Astaire, and get some insight of his lonely, empty life.

"Barracuda" has some chilling moments. It might seem far-fetched, but it's entertaining nevertheless. Although if you watched it over and over again you can imagine the story losing its suspense.

One of the things I like best about the film is the dance music. It's quite catchy. Beware of your neighbours.

In another review of this film the writer claimed the film was boring, where as upon seeing the film I was very impressed that the film sustained my interest for the full length, despite the fact that is was all set in the one apartment.

It was very well acted and made, and the the story and ideas were incredible.

Abandon any ideals that this film is boring, as it is one of the most interesting films I have ever seen.

(and that includes 'Psycho')