Le septième juré

Hypocrisy and higher class conservatism are finely depicted here. If sometimes characters are a bit predictable, the way it's filmed, the reconstruction of the epoch and .

Why are pharmacists always mean? I am thinking of "3 jours en Juin", but there are others as well.

Jean-Pierre Darroussin steals the movie, with his mild mannered neurosis and notorious lack of attributes. And incriminating hobbies (a room/ den of mechanic dolls = striving for control), his puzzles his wife once disarranges when angered because he's just another automate, like his dolls... Nobody listens to him, has a routine family life and his club friends were there only when he agreed with them.

His wife "Geneviève" is probably the weakest character, always thinking about status in a way that we are forced to loathe her, no nuances there. Near the end at least she's got a couple lines that go off the beaten track.

The fact that his son Laurent Duval is like a ghost in the movie is another symptom of his anodyne dysfunctional family. The judge overacts, as the Algerian suspect. Docteur Marmaont is a very likable chap, and L'avocat général deals with his "unsavoury" part convincingly.

My favourite character is Capitaine Valard (Pascal Elso). He's got a long trajectory of good, reliable supporting roles (the TV series "Le cri", Raboliot, Le dominicain in "Galilée" (2005), P.J, Nestor Burma...". In his way, he really cares for Grégoire. When G. asks: "Who is giving me advice, the police officer or the friend" he replies "It's not the copper".

Good language usage, splendid French town life and easy stereotypes make this a very watchable film.