The Color of Lies
| The Color of Lies | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Claude Chabrol |
| Produced by | Marin Karmitz |
| Screenplay by |
Claude Chabrol Odile Barski |
| Starring |
Sandrine Bonnaire Jacques Gamblin |
| Music by | Matthieu Chabrol |
| Cinematography | Eduardo Serra |
| Edited by | Monique Fardoulis |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | MK2 Diffusion |
Release date |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $111,143 (USA) |
The Color of Lies is a 1999 film co-written and directed by Claude Chabrol. Its title in French is Au cœur du mensonge (literally At the heart of the lie). The film was entered into the 49th Berlin International Film Festival.[1]
Plot
In a small town in Brittany, a 10-year-old girl is found murdered. The last person to see her alive was her art teacher and professional artist René (Gamblin). He soon becomes the primary suspect in the murder investigation spearheded by the new chief of police Frédérique Lesage (Bruni-Tedeschi), which destroys his life as people in the small town believe that he is the killer although there is no hard evidence. René is completely dedicated to his wife (Bonnaire), a nurse whose perpetual happy mood is the polar opposite of his personality. Meanwhile, Frederique becomes better acquainted with the eccentric residents of the town, including an arrogant television journalist (de Caunes), a small-time crook who fences stolen goods (Marlot), and a bizarre pair of married shopkeepers (Ogier and Simsolo).
Principal cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sandrine Bonnaire | Vivianne Sterne |
| Jacques Gamblin | René Sterne |
| Antoine de Caunes | Germain-Roland Desmot |
| Valeria Bruni Tedeschi | Frédérique Lesage |
| Bernard Verley | Inspecteur Loudun |
| Bulle Ogier | Évelyne Bordier |
| Pierre Martot | Regis Marchal |
| Adrienne Pauly | Anna |
| Thomas Chabrol | The medical examiner |
Critical reception
The film received favorable reviews.
Michael Thomson of BBC Films:
| “ | Director Claude Chabrol, one of the most successful members of the French New Wave, is still (after a hugely busy career) able to breathe life into suspense with subtlety, irony, and humour... Chabrol, forever asking us to spot detail, ensures that every one counts. A work of superior acting and quiet strength.[2] | ” |
Michael Atkinson of The Village Voice:
| “ | A superb sociological mystery, The Color of Lies (1999) examines what happens to a small Breton village when a schoolgirl's raped body is discovered in the woods... In his surest Simenonian mode, Chabrol balances the hidden, the exposed, and the philosophical with little fuss, and the characters are all drawn with a scalpel.[3] | ” |
Christopher Null of Filmcritic.com gave the film a good review but had only one issue of contention:
| “ | Claude Chabrol's late-career films haven't been entirely inspired, but The Color of Lies is one of the standouts... The sole lacking spot here is the dead fish of a police detective (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), who's ostensibly the hero of the film yet comes off as incompetent and bumbling at best. In fact, better casting all around could have elevated this film to a minor classic.[4] | ” |
References
- ↑ "Berlinale: 1999 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ↑ Michael Thomson Updated 16 July 2001 (2001-07-16). "Films - review - The Colour of Lies (Au Coeur du Mensonge)". BBC. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ↑ Michael Atkinson (2005-08-02). "Crime Scene Investigations From an Aging New Waver - Page 1 - Screens - New York". Village Voice. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ↑ "The Color of Lies - Filmcritic.com Movie Review". Filmcritic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-18.