Towards Zero (2007) L'heure zéro (original title)

Director:

Pascal Thomas

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel)
François Caviglioli
(more)

Release Date:

31 October 2007 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery

Plot:

When Guillaume has the bizarre idea of inviting his ex-wife Aude to a family reunion at the luxurious coastal estate of his wealthy Aunt Camilla...

Plot Keywords:

Servant | Murder | Hour In Title | Faked Evidence | Brittany

Cast

François Morel	...	Le commissaire Martin Bataille
Danielle Darrieux	...	Camilla Tressilian
Melvil Poupaud	...	Guillaume Neuville
Laura Smet	...	Caroline Neuville
Chiara Mastroianni	...	Aude Neuville
Alessandra Martines	...	Marie-Adeline
Clément Thomas	...	Thomas Rondeau
Xavier Thiam	...	Frédéric 'Fred' Latimer
Hervé Pierre	...	Ange Werther
Vania Plemiannikov	...	Pierre Leca
Jacques Sereys	...	Me Charles Trevoz
Valériane de Villeneuve	...	Emma
Paul Minthe	...	Heurtebise
Carmen Durand	...	Barrette
Dominique Reymond	...	Mme Geoffroy - La directrice du collège
Camille Balsan	...	Sylvie Bataille
Ariane Rousseau	...	Mme Roger - Gérante des Flots Bleus
Hassen Brahiti	...	Le docteur Lazerbi
Bernard Marcatte	...	Loïc Brezounec
Héloïse Wagner	...	Une fonctionnaire de police
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marion Bartherotte	...	L'infirmière
Emmanuelle Coutellier	...	La jeune fille de la falaise
Benoit Gaudiche
Audrey Goldberg Goldberg
Michel Goldberg
Nathalie Larcher	...	la cliente de Latimer
Gaël Le Bozec
Joséphine Le Gouvello	...	Une avocate
Tilly Mandelbrot	...	La petite fille diabolique
Elena Manso	...	La femme de chambre
Clarisse Merel	...	Une avocate
Chantal Millier-Legrand	...	Une avocate
Valentin Morel	...	Le jeune homme de la falaise
Serge Panel	...	Un enquêteur
Yannick Peyrony	...	Le partenaire de Gullaiume au tennis
Catherine Schneider	...	La directrice de la morgue
Jérôme Sifferle
Philippe Veisse	...	Le magistrat
Pascal Thomas	...	Le médecin légiste (uncredited)

Directed by
Pascal Thomas

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Clémence de Biéville
François Caviglioli
Agatha Christie		novel
Roland Duval
Nathalie Lafaurie

Produced by
Hubert Watrinet	....	producer
Bernadette Zinck	....	production executive

Original Music by
Reinhardt Wagner

Cinematography by
Renan Pollès

Film Editing by
Catherine Dubeau
Elena Mano

Production Design by
Katia Wyszkop

Set Decoration by
Gérard Marcireau

Costume Design by
Laurence Esnault		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Frédérique Arguello	....	hair stylist
Frédéric Lainé	....	special makeup effects artist
Nathalie Louichon	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Aimeric Bonello	....	unit production manager
Scarlett Garson	....	production secretary
Frédéric Morin	....	assistant unit manager
Jerome Pinot	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thierry Mauvoisin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Christophe Aubry	....	metal worker
Benoît Bechet	....	assistant art director
Benjamin Clauzier	....	assistant decorator
François Combastel	....	construction coordinator
Alexandra Lassen	....	assistant art director
Antoine Martial	....	chief carpenter
Marie Rossignol	....	head painter

Sound Department
Denis Carquin	....	first assistant sound
Eric Chevallier	....	sound mixer
Arnaud Julien	....	second sound engineer
Pierre Lenoir	....	sound recordist
Claude Villand	....	sound mixer

Stunts
Alexandre Cauderlier	....	stunt double: Melvil Poupaud
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Hassen Brahiti	....	still photographer
Julien Buffard	....	grip
Fatma Cherif	....	first assistant camera
Laurent Dexpert	....	electrician
David Morille	....	camera loader
Eric Nové	....	grip
Olivier Petitjean	....	camera operator
Philippe Porte	....	electrician
Tristan Tortuyaux	....	first assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherine Bouchard	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Marie De La Selle	....	assistant editor
Mathilde Delacroix	....	color timer
Mélanie Mourey	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Eric Chevallier	....	music mixer
Asen Kanchev	....	music production manager

Other crew
Scarlett Garson	....	production secretary
Karine Lecoq	....	script supervisor (as Karinne Lecoq)
Florence Narozny	....	press attache
André-Paul Ricci	....	press attache
Bernadette Zinck	....	production administrator

Production Companies

• Les Films Français

Distributors

• Roissy Films (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (2007) (Greece) (theatrical)
• StudioCanal (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Zeitgeist Films (2010) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Le Vestiaire  costume rental
• Panavision France  camera equipment provided by
• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  film score recording
• Transpalux  lighting

Also Known As:

"L'heure zéro" - France (original title)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Lancieux, Ille-et-Vilaine, France

Company:

Les Films Français

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Maltin on Movies: The American (#1.5)" (2010)

Surprisingly 'fidèle'

Towards Zero is not one of Agatha Christie's more famous novels, but for a murder mystery lover it is almost an essential read. It has been several years since I read it, but I very distinctly remember how much I enjoyed it as well as the plot and the substantial twist.

This French movie adaptation is set in present day Bretagne, but other than that remains - rather surprisingly - true to the book, more so than, for example, the Diana Rigg version of Evil Under The Sun. All important plot points remain intact. Not that this in itself signifies a great movie. Au contraire, vraiment - while the cinematography, setting, music and pacing are more or less good, many of the actors overact their characters to the point of becoming caricatures instead. The shrewish wife or the maid (vaguely reminiscent of Nancy Walker's Yetta in Murder By Death, nevertheless wholly unsuitable for a serious murder mystery) are best examples of this. Danielle Darrieux is, quite unsurprisingly, not among those, and her much too brief appearance as Aunt Camilla is the only real performance in the picture. François Morel as the detective comes close to one, but not quite close enough.

Final verdict: Entertaining murder mystery with some hammy performances, fast pacing and a great twist by Dame Agatha herself. Also useful as a French listening comprehension practice, especially if you're as lucky as I am and your copy lacks subtitles.