Jean-Pierre Mocky's (very) special tone is undeniable.
In the past, we loved his gritty, offbeat comedies as well as his anarchic film noirs, but over time Mocky increasingly botched his movies, to the point of becoming their own caricature. Between the ferocious "A mort l'arbitre" and the pitiful "Ville à vendre", there was a gulf that I thought would never be bridged by an ageing soft-headed Mocky.
When a friend lent me the DVD of "Rouges étaient les lilas", I have to admit, I was skeptical. But I was pleasantly surprised: this little whodunit with a well-crafted plot takes us, with just a touch of causticity, from the anecdotal to the tragic, worthy of the great film noirs. The situation, apparently simple at first (the neighbor upstairs is harassing the neighbor downstairs with a nightly racket), gradually unravels and leads to unpredictable events.
The setting is interesting (a building adjoining a cemetery, indicating the idea that death creeps viciously into life), and the colors clean and bold, characterizing each of the four main protagonists, are well-chosen. As for musician Vladimir Cosma, he proved clever enough to compose a score that didn't duplicate the film's mortifying atmosphere.
Also thanks to Mocky for casting four women in the lead roles. It's half as many as François Ozon's "Eight Women", but still! Alice Dufour skillfully portrays the young widow at odds with her evil neighbor, dressed all in red", the beautiful and arrogant Delphine Cadéac. Marianne Basler is a retired police inspector and Grace de Capitani is a picturesque, friendly concierge. They all interact very well
In the end, a very satisfying film that reconciled me with Mocky.
