Review by farharbor

"La Vengeance d'une femme" is a surprising movie, yet at times the dialogues seem quite familiar. I guess it's because Proust's work has a major influence on the plot (rather than Dostoyevsky's), particularly on Isabelle Huppert's character as the woman who lost her husband. Seeking her own truth behind his death, she suddenly finds herself at the door of his mistress (Béatrice Dalle). And from that point, they are led into a chaotic relationship.

We also watch the movie in a rather uncomfortable way. Jacques Doillon's direction is simply based on the "walking and talking" actions of the two main characters (where music has absolutely no effect in the background). They are mostly spending their time at hotel rooms, inside a flat. We only see them outside once in a while, and therefore a claustrophobic atmosphere fades in the screen inevitably.

I can't say if it's a good thing or not but this extremely anxious feeling makes you wonder more about their past. You want to see the story beyond their memories. I personally would have liked to witness Béatrice Dalle's character in the movie through flashbacks, just to understand her better.

Even in this form, however, I enjoyed the movie a lot. It leaves out details that you should fill in the gaps underneath with your own understanding, an d I must say it's worth the effort.