Andy-140

Chabrol's film is a clever dissection of the French bourgeoisie and its foibles. Bonnaire and Huppert are brilliant as the two social misfits whose individual peculiarities form into an unnerving and unsettling friendship. Sophie's illiteracy affects her pathologically, and we are never sure if it is her or the postmistress who have been opening the family's mail. The film has a violent and climactic ending which is the gradual result of the two women's alienation and eventual degeneration into killers. Outstanding.

The film was made and set in the bleak environment of post-war east London and shows Robert Hamer to be an extremely talented and sophisticated film maker. Unlike Dearden and Relph, Hamer does not impose a moral framework on his characters. The film shows two sides of adultery between Googie Withers and the escaped convict and between her daughter and a Jewish shopkeeper. What makes this film stand out is its intentioned 'realism' and complex character portrayals. This little known classic is probably one of Ealing's finest films.

Oh come on Leon! So if this film sides with a 'subversive' group of people it will naturally attract derision from mainstream critics. What a naive and childish viewpoint! This film deserves slating because it is absolute rubbish, in spite of Poliakoff's previous achievements. The plot, story and characters were unrealistic (the film aspired to be 'realist') and the dialogue was flat and vacuous. Literally all the performances, by a normally talented cast, were as flat as a fart. I'm sure this is one creation Stephen Poliakoff will be glad to flush down the toilet.