This is Philippe Noiret's last leading part (in his last film,he is only supporting as a garage owner),and he is sensational ,stealing every scene he is in,even though his co-star is talented François Berléand .Marion Cotillard 's screen presence does not exceed five minutes (first in a dream which comes at the most awkward moment ,then as a future insurance agent).Jacques Spiesser ("RAS"; "black and white in colours" aka "La Victoire En Chantant") has a cameo as an insurance agent;
The first scene looks like a spoof on thrillers, although it's almost scary ;Berléand is about to shoot a man holding a spade who does not know why this "enemy" wants to do away with him and asks him why ;terse answer by the vilain :"dig!"
The movie takes time to take off and seems to drag on for a while ;clues are given later ,notably the " reason" to kill a man and bizarre extracts of a famous TV quiz .
As soon as Noiret ,who (paternalistically) teaches the future insurance salesmen,appears ,he 's bigger than the screen:even when he talks about dirty deeds ,he remains "true to himself" ;his hilarious deductive reasoning is in keeping with market principles ,even though it means slaying some people on the way.
A funny comedy ,bursting with black humor ;the director should have stopped his movie when the insurance agent learns the news in a cafe on TV;but never mind ,you'll spend a happy time with Noiret and Berleand,the latter thoroughly overtaken by events.
Like this? try these.....
"Série Noire" (Corneau ,1979)
"Le couperet "(Costa-Gavras,2005)
