An overbearing wheelchair bound woman and her postman son are threatened by a group of amoral businessmen from the local village who want their property for a lucrative development project. The mother gets her son to bring in the mail pertaining to these men and steams open their letters in order to keep abreast of their plans. Meanwhile, a couple of suspicious deaths follow and a police inspector with questionable methods gets involved, attempting to solve the crime.
This 80's Claude Chabrol murder-mystery is not one that I would describe as occupying the upper bracket of his work. Its plot-line has quite a few things happening in it but it consequently doesn't have the focus of his best work. It still follows the basic template he often seems to follow in that its story is underpinned by a crime but the real focus of attention seems to be on the weaknesses and character defects of its cast. This one is no different but doesn't have as interesting dynamics between its characters as usual. Chabrol's wife and regular actress Stephane Audran appears as the wheelchair-bound mother. She was often the best thing about the movies she appeared in but here her character is somewhat unappealing and she is never the main focus in any case. The setting is pure Chabrol though, small-town rural France with the typical pastel colour scheme to match. The mystery itself is serviceable enough and the various plot strands do ensure there is enough going on but this is not top drawer Chabrol for me.
This 80's Claude Chabrol murder-mystery is not one that I would describe as occupying the upper bracket of his work. Its plot-line has quite a few things happening in it but it consequently doesn't have the focus of his best work. It still follows the basic template he often seems to follow in that its story is underpinned by a crime but the real focus of attention seems to be on the weaknesses and character defects of its cast. This one is no different but doesn't have as interesting dynamics between its characters as usual. Chabrol's wife and regular actress Stephane Audran appears as the wheelchair-bound mother. She was often the best thing about the movies she appeared in but here her character is somewhat unappealing and she is never the main focus in any case. The setting is pure Chabrol though, small-town rural France with the typical pastel colour scheme to match. The mystery itself is serviceable enough and the various plot strands do ensure there is enough going on but this is not top drawer Chabrol for me.