Mortel transfert

"Mortel transfert" ("Mortal Transfer" in English) is the first Jean-Jacques Beineix movie that I've seen; it turns out to have been his final theatrical film before he died. Certainly an intense one; a real Hitchcockian vibe to it. In addition to the basic plot, it drives home questions about the ethics of one's job, especially with regard to a psychoanalyst's patients.

I will say that the non-intense scenes tend to drag, but the intense scenes make up for that. It's not a masterpiece, but most of it kept me on the edge of my seat. I hope to see the rest of Beineix's movies now.

Just think about it the next time that you go to Père Lachaise.

Michel Durand (Jean-Hugues Anglade) is the psychoanalyst of Olga Kubler (Hélène de Fougerolles), a kleptomaniac and masochistic beautiful woman married with the brutal Max Kubler (Yves Rénier). Michel has a great attraction for Olga, desiring her as a woman. One afternoon, Michel falls asleep during her session and when he wakes up, he finds Olga strangled on his divan. Then he is informed by Max that Olga stole seven million francs from him. Max believes Michel knows where the money is and demands the devolution until the next day. The story has many plot points along approximately 2 hours. This movie is a very weird French dark comedy. The plot is unusual, very strange and irregular, alternating boring and interesting parts and even the genres of black comedy and thriller. The premise is good, but in some parts it does not work well in spite of a great cast. The beauty of the nudity of Valentina Sauca is amazing. Her beautiful body is perfect and looks like a statue. However, this film is only a reasonable entertainment recommended for a very specific audience. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): `Um Enigma No Divã' (`An Enigma on the Divan')

This subtle film will certainly bear repeated watching. Psychoanalysis, perversion, money, and death are among the principal themes, treated with a dead-pan humour that does not hide some serious questions about analyst-patient relationships.

"Mortal Transfer" deals with a subject that has been exploited by New York filmers mostly: trials and tribulations of a shrink are usually connected with the Big Apple. Beineix has not directed a motion picture in the past eight years, but it doesn't show. If you are familiar with his films such as "Diva" or "Betty Blue", you don't come to expect humor in his work, but after an intriguing setup, you'll find plenty of it here. Beineix' films have never been about depicting reality (more about the clash of illusions vs. reality), and this film is no exception. Masterfully photographed, this is a feast for the eyes in which you will sometimes find yourself wondering whether thrill or laughter are stronger. A comeback to form by a master of his craft.

I cannot add much to the comments already given. For those who consider watching the movie: you can expect a nice mix of Scorcese's "After Hours", Kubrick's "EWS", Roman Polanski's "The Tenant" (Le Locataire; funny how Anglade even looks and acts like Polanski!) and some elements of Hitchcock. Nowhere near of a masterpiece, but neither boring or bad. Shooting and directing is flawless, I enjoyed the speed. The film is a bit too long, though. The key-element of the movie is that is concentrated on almost one place (the practice of a psycho-analyst in the center of Paris ). Only few scenes are shot by daylight, the dark atmosphere adds up to the script that focuses on sexual aberration, lies and truth, death, and Freudian therapy. Finally, I should not forget to mention that are some humorous scenes that make the film also fun to watch.