Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Michel Piccoli | ... | Dr. Pierre Losseray | |
Gérard Depardieu | ... | Doctor Jean-Pierre Berg | |
Jane Birkin | ... | Jane Berg | |
Marina Vlady | ... | Muriel Losseray | |
Charles Vanel | ... | Old Brézé | |
Michel Auclair | ... | Dr. Mathy | |
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Monique Mélinand | ... | Mrs. Giret |
Coline Serreau | ... | Mrs. Mauvagne | |
Antonio Ferrandis | ... | Le commissaire Giret (as Antonio Ferrandis Monrabal) | |
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Georg Marischka | ... | Paul Brézé |
José María Prada | ... | Simon Mauvagne (as José Maria Prada Oterino) | |
Karl Schönböck | ... | Joseph Brézé | |
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Etienne Draber | ... | Robert Brézé |
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Guy de Belleval | ... | Henri Chantin-Brézé |
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Claude Barrois | ... | Le joueur de poker professionnel |
Dr. Brézé and his sons, all surgeons with limited abilities fight any competition on their sector with all means. Especially a well-known operating surgeon Pierre Losseray, which wants to operate again after a cardiac infarct and a longer recovery break. Night for night he is terrorized by the old Brézé with calls, being accused by him of the murder of patients, threatens with measures of the physician chamber. Written by Anonymous
The premise is the only redeeming part, and thanks to a great cast. It is most intriguing to have a story set in the medical society. The simple fact that private hospitals are run like businesses where patients are just customers leading to an invoice and a profit has potential as a dramatic subtext, especially with good surgeons, caring for their jobs and patients, at a loss in this "no holds barred" arena.
Unfortunately, as pointed by the two previous reviewers, the film-makers made two wrong choices. First we don't need to experience the backstory of 10 years before. The cutting back and forth is really distracting and it doesn't move the story forward. Then here lies the biggest problem: the story is pointless. Probably because Director Rouffio and his screenwriter Conchon were stuck with the true story it is based on. But the intercut flashbacks are at odds with a documentary approach. So we are left to be content with an anecdotal storyline.
Pity we didn't get a better movie with Piccoli, Depardieu and the rest. So much so that it is an endemic disease of French movies that the film-makers are so proud of their premise they don't care if the story leads somewhere.