Cible émouvante

It is hard to believe that twenty years have passed since the release of this extremely promising debut of Tunisian-born writer/director Pierre Salvadori. It has since of course acquired a tragic dimension owing to the presence of the talented but ill-fated Guillaume Dépardieu and Marie Trintignant, both of whom were to make two more films with this director before their untimely deaths.

To call this piece 'bizarre' would be an understatement as it is a somewhat uneasy mix of comedy and violent death in which assassins are portrayed as buffoons. It has plenty of pace however plus inimitable Gallic finesse whilst the dynamic between Victor, Renée and Antoine is fascinating and their characters well-drawn. As a bonus we have Patachou as Victor's murderous maman. Composer Philippe Eliard's use of the accordion adds to the film's overall kookiness and the sharp editing is by Hélene Viard.

Suffice to say the lynchpin here is the performance of veteran Jean Rochefort as Victor. One simply runs out of superlatives when describing this actor whose subtlety and innate quirkiness enrich every film in which he appears. Following his breakthrough role in 'Pardon mon affaire' he made a wise decision to retain the moustache he had grown for that film.

Although it is not a classic, one appreciates the film's merits even more when considering Jonathan Lynn's utterly worthless remake from 2010. That this lamentable British version has garnered twelve times more IMDb reviews than the original is depressing and oh so typical.

Rochefort plays professional killer Victor Meynard in this beautifully shot French black comedy.

I rented this movie not knowing anything about it and barely reading the cover.

I was immediately drawn into the movie by Victor's deadpan expression and uptight manner and watched his composure melt away into plain irritability at his foiled assassination attempt on the art thief Renee as she is seen shop lifting. It then crumbles to exasperation as more things do not run according to plan as he is so obviously used to.

The Corsican gangsters are threatening enough, and the introduction of Guillaume Depardieu as the "all thumbs" Antoine tops off the chemistry and cast adding to the total chaos inflicted upon Victor's usually well ordered life.

There is a lovely scene too where Victor has afternoon tea with his aged but elegant Mother and it hilariously transpires here that she is an authority on poisons and pistols. A side-effect of this scene is a mysteriously dead Parrot.

It is all underplayed beautifully and the dark humor, characterization and pace contribute to a refreshing alternative to Hollywood.

This is one of the best examples of black humor I have ever seen. The sub titles do NOT take away from the excellence of this film. Jean Rochefort is perfect as the highly disciplined assassin, expertly contrasted by the art thief who's name eludes me.

Keep an eye in the background as well for some hilarious gags especially during scenes with the mother. The black humor might not be as funny to some but if you like it, this is one of the best examples you'll find anywhere.

You won't be disappointed.

Victor Meynard (Jean Rochefort) is a seasoned, aging contract killer with a hesitant sexuality, under his mother's thumb. But his future could be symbolized by a young, naive dispatch rider Antoine (Guillaume Depardieu) whom he wants to initiate to his job. For his next contract, he has to kill a young female thief, Renée Darieux (Marie Trintignant) who is hunted down by a gang of baddies but unplanned circumstances lead him to protect her and to take refuge in his house. Victor is torn down between two alternatives: should he fulfill his pledges and get rid of Renée or should he let love prevail for her?

Pierre Salvadori may be a minor director, his films bear the mark of a personal work with nothing intellectual or pretentious in them and they should deserve more recognition in the guide of films by Jean Tulard in which each of his efforts has only one star out of four. "Cible Emouvante" has enough valuable assets to justify its screening. First, Salvadori's first effort eschews in the major part of the film, an ultra-mapped master plan and is straddling several genres. Thus, the onset of the film might let the viewer think that the film will be based on the formation of Antoine to the job by Victor. But later, the director changes way and follows the three main characters trying to escape the Casa Bianca gang who runs after Renée. The two gangs will rub shoulders in a chic hotel. And finally, Salvadori steers his work on another way when Victor, Antoine and Renée wind up in Victor's house. Investigations from the Casa Bianca gang, chases and suspense take a back seat and perhaps the chief key of the film is Victor's personality. This man goes through emotional turmoil and doesn't know how to come to terms with Antoine and Renée who force him to question himself about his job and his life.

These different directions deftly mesh without major clumsiness. Pierre Salvadori wields black humor and maintains laughter thanks to a shrewd scenario in which he weaves preposterous, hilarious sequences. And he eschews some predictable moments through unexpected schemes. And let's not forget potent cues. At last, a delineation of the characters contributes to the pleasure of the film between the finally fragile Victor, the naive Antoine and the neurotic Renée. Guillaume Depardieu and Marie Trintignant will meet again in the director's two subsequent works: "les Apprentis" (1995) and "Comme Elle Respire" (1998).

Don't expect something astounding but a gratifying, refreshing black comedy with a sense of unpredictable.

Jean Rochefort (The Phantom of Liberty) plays Victor Meynard, a 55 year-old professional killer; but he is starting to lose his touch. He is unmarried, and trying to learn the English language, as well as tending to his Dwarf Ulanus plant, and paying visits to his eccentric mother.

During a hit, Victor stumbles upon a timid young man named Antoine, and decides not to kill him, but learn him the art of killing people in different ways. Victor is then hired to kill a femme fatale named Renee, who has ripped off a mobster. Chaos ensues when Victor is prevented from killing her by another hitman, and he decides to take Renee to his house, along with Antoine.

The three of them then hide out there. The three characters are good together, and the film moves along at a good pace. It is an entertaining and funny film to watch and never dull.