Diaboliquement vôtre

"Diabolically Yours" from 1967 is a derivative film with parts of Gaslight, Vertigo, Diabolique, take your pick. Directed by Julian Duvivier, who would die in a car accident shortly after this film was made, the film stars Alain Delon and Senta Berger.

Alain Delon wakes up from a three-week coma after a car accident, and he can't remember anything, not even this gorgeous woman who claims to be his wife Christiane (Berger).

Apparently, he is a wealthy businessman named Georges Campo. He is brought to his palatial estate to recover, and he's mighty impressed. There's a doctor there (Sergio Fantoni) and a mysterious servant named Kim (Peter Mosbacher).

It doesn't take Georges long to become suspicious of the whole setup. His wife won't have sex with him which for me is the most ludicrous part of the film, since it's Alain Delon we're talking about.

The name Pierre Lagrange keeps going through his head, and he comes to believe he's a prisoner in the house and part of some plot. Voices in the night tell him he's going crazy and to kill himself, and his dreams are disturbing.

The film keeps us in the dark as we wonder about Christiane's weird relationship with the servant, and just what the doctor's role is.

Despite what you might guess as the film continues, it's actually quite intriguing. Both Delon and Berger are at the height of their eye-popping beauty.

Delon brings humor to the role, as well as playing a confused but determined man. When Chistiane brings a decorator to the house, Delon playfully follows him around, mimicking the man's gait.

Berger looks very sixties with her hair and fashions, looking like the ultimate '60s fashion model, chosen for her beauty. Today she remains not only a beautiful woman, but an incredibly accomplished actress and producer.

The end of the movie won't be to everyone's taste. It wasn't mine.

There is a lot to enjoy here, including the cinematography. In the end, it's a disjointed film but watchable.

Alain Delon stars as Pierre, an amnesiac recovering from a car accident. He can't remember any details about the accident or about his past life as a wealthy businessman based in the orient. He is currently being nursed back to health on his palatial estate in the french countryside by his beautiful wife, Christiane (Senta Berger), the family doctor (Sergio Fantoni), and a manservant named Kim (Peter Mosbacher).Paranoia rapidly sets in as he begins to suspect Christiane is not really his wife and that he is the victim of a sinister plot. Despite the standard plot device of someone trying to drive the main character insane or to the point of suicide, "Diaboliquement votre" is not a standard thriller by any means and often takes a detour from the main plot (Pierre's obsessive investigation of his true identity) to show us odd details about the main characters (the masochistic relationship between Christiane and Kim). The result will probably disappoint most mystery fans, especially the anticlimatic ending, but for others, there are things to enjoy here; Alain Delon's playful performance as a victim, a sexy Senta Berger at the height of her beauty, modeling a variety of sixties fashions, Henri Decae's lush cinematography, and some disorientating drug induced dream sequences.

The movie begins with a car crash.Soon after,Duvivier would die in a car crash too.It was the second time he 'd experimented color and

directed Alain Delon (who was part of the cast of "le devil and the ten commandments",a film made up of sketches ,Duvivier's forte.) Julien Duvivier is my all-time favorite French director .His career encompasses the silent era,the glorious thirties when he produced one masterpiece a year ,an American era in the forties.In the fifties he 's best remembered for his "Don Camillo" saga but one should not forget his films noirs extraordinaire ("Sous le ciel de Paris" and "Voici le temps des assassins").Then there was the nouvelle vague which was always putting him down.Delon reportedly said he'd suffered from their contempt.He shouldn't have bothered:he's better than any of them.And Claude Chabrol is certainly his psychic son as he is Hitchcock's or Clouzot's.

"Diaboliquement votre" is a poor swansong though.Duvivier's indomitable pessimism can be felt when he denies (and it's not the first time:almost all Duvivier works have a bitter end)the audience the de rigueur happy end ,but his magic touch is almost absent here.Delon portrays a framed man :a distant relative of George Peppard in Jack Smight's "the third day" (1966) and Tom Berenger in "shattered",his wife (Senta Berger)refuses to give herself to him after a car crash.But is she really his wife?And what about these strange voices he can hear at night?This shady doctor who calls him his friend?This Chinese servant?This kind of screenplay needs talented writers ,like Boileau-Narcejac ("Diabolique" "Vertigo" ) ,Frédéric Dard ("Toi le venin") or John Dickson Carr whose " burning court" Duvivier had transferred to the screen in 1962.Louis Thomas whose book I've not read is not in the same league.His tricks are roughly done:the tape recorder,the dog,the trap door..All the plot seems to sink into the pool of the desirable mansion.

Delon's presence,Berger's beauty and a nice cinematography make the movie watchable.But Duvivier had done so much so much better that I urge French movies buffs to see his finest works,which Orson Welles himself admired.

Right from the opening credits (which, by the way, are very cool; notice how the words seem to respond rhythmically to the music), it's easy to see that this film bears a striking resemblance to the 1991 thriller "Shattered": we have a car accident, a woman who mysteriously survives without a scratch and a man who gets badly injured, develops amnesia, and tries to piece together the puzzle of his previous life but senses that something isn't quite right, something doesn't add up. The plot is enigmatic and twisty but has some holes, and it won't fool anyone who's previously seen "Shattered" (or "Gaslight", for that matter). But Duvivier's innovative direction makes this a surprisingly undated thriller. Alain Delon gives one of his liveliest performances...and who could forget to mention Senta Berger's terrific body? (***)

Only worth watching if you appreciate some eye candy in the shape of young and attractive Alain Delon and Senta Berger.

The plot is about amnesiac George who after a terrible car crash from which he recovered without any bruise or visible sign, apart from a sprained ankle, is sent home to recover.

'Home' is a mighty isolated mansion where George lives with wifey Christiane and shady Chinese servant Kim. George and Christiane are just back from Hong Kong, where they made a ton of money and their only visitor is their 'friend' Freddie.

By now you'll know that this is a relatively cheap production, employing only 4 actors (albeit a couple of big names) and a few extras for a few scenes and taking place almost exclusively in the creepy mansion.

Delon is an unconvincing George. While thinking his real name may be Pierre Lagrange, George's only purpose seems to be getting into Christiane's pants. Talk about the French being obsessed with sex... It takes a while for dumb George to realize that the 'medicine' wifey and pal force down his throat might not be so curative after all.

Given the setting, one can see the denouement coming a long time away, the only question mark being if Christiane will make it, while 'George" undoubtedly should.