Its title borrowed from a popular French expression for “pulp fiction,” this
fanciful thriller by master filmmaker Claude Lelouch (A
Man and a Woman) takes some surprising twists and turns along its scenic
route. Successful crime novelist Judith Ralitzer (the luminous Fanny
Ardant) might not be the real author of her own bestsellers, and as
it turns out, she could herself be a murderer. Is Paul (Dominique Pinon)
in reality Judith’s long-suffering ghostwriter, or is he instead a diabolical
serial killer on the loose? Or is he both? And what will become of Huguette (Audrey
Dana), abandoned by her fiancé at a filling station only to be rescued
by Paul? The characters cross paths at beautifully filmed locations, from the
French Alps to the coast of Cannes, set to a soundtrack filled with the chansons of Gilbert
Bécaud. Along the way, many secrets are revealed, but to tell any more
would be spilling the beans. Suffice it to say that this deft confection of mystery
and romance is one of Lelouch’s most entertaining in years. In French with English
subtitles. Writer/Producer/Director: Claude Lelouch. (France
2007) 103 min.
Its title borrowed from a popular French expression for “pulp fiction,” this
fanciful thriller by master filmmaker Claude Lelouch (A
Man and a Woman) takes some surprising twists and turns along its scenic
route. Successful crime novelist Judith Ralitzer (the luminous Fanny
Ardant) might not be the real author of her own bestsellers, and as
it turns out, she could herself be a murderer. Is Paul (Dominique Pinon)
in reality Judith’s long-suffering ghostwriter, or is he instead a diabolical
serial killer on the loose? Or is he both? And what will become of Huguette (Audrey
Dana), abandoned by her fiancé at a filling station only to be rescued
by Paul? The characters cross paths at beautifully filmed locations, from the
French Alps to the coast of Cannes, set to a soundtrack filled with the chansons of Gilbert
Bécaud. Along the way, many secrets are revealed, but to tell any more
would be spilling the beans. Suffice it to say that this deft confection of mystery
and romance is one of Lelouch’s most entertaining in years. In French with English
subtitles. Writer/Producer/Director: Claude Lelouch. (France
2007) 103 min.
