Inspecteur Lavardin

Sex; lies and video tape. Yes. It's that kind of gritty noir with a witty and charismatic yet charming yet brash inspector as the lead protagonist.

Inspector Lavardin has to unravel the film's clues and plot to ascertain how a murder happened. The murder itself was filmed but it takes time to unravel the clues. Hidden lenses are discovered and dirty paths unearthed.

There is some great old school cinematography and screenplay and humour. The policing is sometimes unethical but it's from a time so long ago now. Changes to standards and behaviour have happened since then.

It's genuine thriller but very slow. There is some somptous shots and the scriptwriting is good. The problem is there is just far too many genre films like this so it's not that fresh.

Watch and find out what happens. I don't want to give the game away but it's a fun film and it has aged well. 7/10.

This is actually rather a good, but not particularly noteworthy, detective movie. Chabrol re-uses a character of an earlier film, Inspecteur Lavardin from Poulet au Vinaigre, which was probably the most successful ingredient of that film. This later film is more entertaining and accessible than Poulet, primarily because it benefits from having a much better script, with more than a smattering of humour. In addition, the main characters are better drawn and acted than in Poulet. Of particular note are Jean-Claude Brialy playing Lavardin's outrageously camp and eccentric host, and Jean Poiret, now comfortably installed in the role of the unconventional, if not to say dangerous, detective Lavardin.

The plot is quite sophisticated, with some clever twists and turns. The unmasking of the murderer and the transfer of guilt are quite cleverly engineered, although the conclusion does raise some questions about Lavardin's (and Chabrol's?) own personal morality. That, coupled with Lavardin's somewhat brutal technique from extracting truth from the witnesses and suspects, can only serve to undermine his position as the good guy in any subsequent film.

In Dinan, in the countryside of France, the Catholic writer Raoul Mons (Jacques Dacqmine) is having lunch with his wife Hélène Mons (Bernadette Lafont), his stepdaughter Véronique Manguin (Hermine Clair) and his brother-in-law Claude Alvarez (Jean-Claude Brialy), when residents of the nearby coastal town knock at his door to tell that a theater troupe will present a profane play. Raoul, who is a leader in the community, promises to take care of the case. On the next morning, Raoul is found murdered on the beach with the word "pig" written on his back. Inspector Jean Lavardin (Jean Poiret) arrives in town to help the investigation. When he arrives at Raoul's house, he sees Hélène, who was his passion twenty-years ago, and learns that her previous husband had also been murdered. He interviews the family and Hélène lodges him at home. He also interviews the cast of the play and discovers family secrets, including that Raoul and Hélène were estranged and did not have sex. He also discovers that Raoul was an habitué of the night-club owned by Max Charnet (Jean-Luc Bideau), who uses his political influence to sell drugs and allow minors in his club. Soon Inspector Lavardin learns dirty secrets and who killed Raoul Mons.

"Inspecteur Lavardin", a.k.a. "Inspector Lavardin" (1986), is a witty crime film by Claude Chabrol. The smart Inspector Lavardin comes to a coastal town to investigate a murder and finds many secrets including the killer of the prominent writer. But he also learns the character of the victim, the killer and the people involved in the case. His solution is not "politically correct" but resolves many problems at the same time. The society in Dinan will be certainly better off with the way Lavardin resolved the case. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Inspetor Lavardin" ("Inspector Lavardin")

Jean Poiret is Inspector Lavardine who finds the love of his life after 20 years the widow of the man found nude on the beach in Brittany. She has a lovely 13 year old daughter. There is a relative who paints glass eyes. The murder scene has the clothes of the victim. Lavardine is tricky in the way he gets information. At one point he smashes all the glass eyes off the shelves. He can get very severe if needed. He's nice up to the point where he is frustrated, and then he turns. I enjoyed the creative manner of Levardine. The action and characters were relatable. A very easy film to watch.

The complicated story unveils itself with the line of clues the inspector follows. It reveals more and more and we get surprised all along. A bit static compared to today's movies, but the story is worth it.