La Cérémonie (1995)

A new-hired maid for a rich countryside family befriends a post-office clerk, who encourages her to rebel against her employers.

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Ruth Rendell (novel), Claude Chabrol (adaptation)

Stars:

Isabelle Huppert, Sandrine Bonnaire, Jacqueline Bisset

8 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabelle Huppert	...	Jeanne la postière
Sandrine Bonnaire	...	Sophie la bonne
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Georges Lelievre
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Catherine Lelievre
Virginie Ledoyen	...	Melinda
Valentin Merlet	...	Gilles
Julien Rochefort	...	Jeremie
Dominique Frot	...	Madame Lantier
Jean-François Perrier	...	Priest
Ludovic Brillant
Claire Chiron
Claire-Marie Dentraygues
Jean-Pierre Descheix
Penny Fairclough
Alain Françoise

Storyline

The upper-class owner of a gallery, Catherine Lelievre, hires the efficient and quiet maid Sophie to work in the family manor in the French countryside. Her husband Georges Lelievre, who is an opera lover, her daughter Melinda and her teenage son Gilles welcome Sophie and appreciate her work. Sophie soon befriends the postmistress Jeanne, who is a bad egg and encourages Sophie to rebel against her employers, but the maid stays submissive. However, Sophie is ashamed of a secret and feels uncomfortable in many situations, finding a way to hide her secret. When Georges tells Sophie that he does not want Jeanne in his house, Sophie stands up to him. Melinda discovers her secret and Sophie blackmails her, but Melinda tells her parents what happened. Georges fires Sophie and she returns to the house later with Jeanne on the rampage.

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Plot Keywords:

family massacre | miniskirt | scantily clad female | murder of a pregnant woman | victim | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Germany

Language:

French

Release Date:

20 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

La Cérémonie

Filming Locations:

Saint-Coulomb, Ille-et-Vilaine, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$49,843, 22 December 1996, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$76,882

Company Credits

Production Co:

France 3 Cinéma,MK2 Productions,Olga Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film Jacqueline Bisset and Valentin Merlet are watching is Les noces rouges (1973), also directed by Claude Chabrol.

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Quotes

Jeanne la postière: They're pathetic. What do they know? They've got it all. Their biggest worry is what color car to buy. Or which cousin stole half the inheritance. I'd be happy with a tenth of what they have. I'd have the life I wanted, instead of just the opposite.

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Connections

Features The Atom Ant Show (1965)

User Reviews

Intriguing Film

This is one of those films that I happened upon, late one night and I could not take my eyes off of it. The characters are very enigmatic and I kept hoping that more would be revealed about the two lead characters (Bonnaire and Huppert)shadowy past experiences. Claude Chabrol demonstrates his ability to be France's Alfred Hitchcock with this picture. I kept wondering where the direction of this story was going and I was shocked at the turn of events at the ending. It was a film that had me guessing, at certain points, surprised at other points, but the main feeling was intrigue. I kept wondering what was going to happen next and what each turn of events might mean. The minute that it was over, I am thinking, I don't know if I liked this film or not, but I know I want to watch it again. Like I've already stated, while watching this movie, you get the feeling that something sinister is waiting around the corner, your just not really sure what it is going to be or how it's going to manifest.Sandrine Bonnaire, Isabelle Huppert and Jacqueline Bisset are all excellent in their roles and carry their performances very well. A very intriguing and enigmatic film.