La machine

1994
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

The psychiatrist Marc Laxroix is a studious scientist of the brains of criminals. He has an unhappy and loveless marriage with his wife Marie Lacroix and they have a boy, Léonard Lacroix. Ma... Read allThe psychiatrist Marc Laxroix is a studious scientist of the brains of criminals. He has an unhappy and loveless marriage with his wife Marie Lacroix and they have a boy, Léonard Lacroix. Marc has also a mistress, Marianne, who is also his confidante. Marc has secretly built a ma... Read allThe psychiatrist Marc Laxroix is a studious scientist of the brains of criminals. He has an unhappy and loveless marriage with his wife Marie Lacroix and they have a boy, Léonard Lacroix. Marc has also a mistress, Marianne, who is also his confidante. Marc has secretly built a machine to study the mind of a person to another one in his old house, but he has not tested... Read all

Director
- François Dupeyron
Writers
- René Belletto
- François Dupeyron
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.4/10

767

YOUR RATING

Director
- François Dupeyron
Writers
- René Belletto
- François Dupeyron
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Photos1

User reviews13

5.4767

Featured reviews

1clarknova

My Worst Movie in the world

It's my first day on IMDb and my first move here will be to say to the world how awful is this movie. The worst i have ever seen in my life (and i used to be an horror picture fan so you can believe me, i have seen real Z movies). In La Machine, Depardieu plays like a puppet and Didier Bourdon is so ridiculous i felt ashamed for him, I really felt the Chill of Shame. Thanks God, the scenario worth nothing so nothing is wasted.

8ccthemovieman-1

Surprisingly-Good Movie

This was one of those rare cases in which the opposite occurs: a movie that should have been stupid and hokey but turned out to be well-done and a good thriller. Yes, a very pleasant surprise.

A man invents a machine which can switch the inward beings (at least the brain) of two humans so....the doctor winds up being a killer while the killer becomes him, the doctor in actions and thoughts. This "fact" is hidden because the two people still have the old face and body of the person they used to be, so no one else can see the two people have switched "identities.""

Anyway.....there is very good suspense in this film as the good guy tries to save his wife and family from being killed by the deranged human. Yeah, I know....it sounds confusing and stupid, but it isn't. The film also boasts a few shocking scenes and twists at the end. Recommended.

cinephil-6

You've got to admit, this is not a good movie.

Since the movie was made in 1994, it's difficult to say that the plot was inspired by the brilliant movie "Face Off", made in 1997. Nevertheless, while you're watching the movie, you can't help thinking about the 1997 John Woo movie where the main character trade place with a dangerous killer. In both movies, the "bad guy" ends up sleeping with the "hero"'s wife, he threatens the "hero"'s wife and kid. They also switch lives where the hero ends up in jail (or asylum) and the bad guy enjoy a comfortable life in a beautiful house, next to the hero's wife and kid. "The Machine" doesn't have the juice of "Face Off" because they don't go deeply into everyone's personality and life. It seems like a shallow replicate of the John Woo movie without the special effects and cinematography. Good luck !

7gridoon

Don't judge a book by its cover.

"La Machine" is a violent, very well-made thriller, which proves that when the French aren't too preoccupied with "art" or "social shock", they can make a genre movie just as good as any similar American product. The director shows remarkable attention to detail, and the performances are versatile enough to help you "buy" the various transformations of the characters. Not an exceptional movie, but a gripping one. (***)

8vucaii