Genealogies of a Crime (1997)

At her son's funeral, Solange, a lawyer famous for losing hopeless cases, agrees to defend René, her son's age, accused of murdering his wealthy aunt, Jeanne, who's part of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Raoul Ruiz

Writers:

Raoul Ruiz, Pascal Bonitzer

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, Michel Piccoli, Melvil Poupaud

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Jeanne / Solange
Michel Piccoli	...	Georges Didier
Melvil Poupaud	...	René
Andrzej Seweryn	...	Christian
Bernadette Lafont	...	Esther
Monique Mélinand	...	Louise
Hubert Saint-Macary	...	Verret
Jean-Yves Gautier	...	Mathieu
Mathieu Amalric	...	Yves
Camila Mora-Scheihing	...	Soledad (as Camila Mora)
Patrick Modiano	...	Bob
Jean Badin	...	L'avocat
Brigitte Sy	...	Jeanne
Laurence Clément	...	Aline, la secrétaire
André Engel	...	Psychiatre 1

Storyline

At her son's funeral, Solange, a lawyer famous for losing hopeless cases, agrees to defend René, her son's age, accused of murdering his wealthy aunt, Jeanne, who's part of the Franco-Belgian Psychoanalytic Society, known for odd views and methods. She reads Jeanne's journal, documenting René's criminal tendencies. Solange believes him innocent, manipulated into the murder or framed. Odd psychiatrists turn up, including Georges Didier, who runs FBPS, and his rival, Christian, who believes crime originates in a story's taking hold of a person. After the verdict, René and Solange's relationship changes, Georges and his society commit a bizarre act, and the police record Solange's story.

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Plot Keywords:

son | psychiatrist | murder | journal | funeral | 

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Taglines:

is she the murderer, the victim, or both?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

France Portugal

Language:

French

Release Date:

27 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Genealogias de um Crime

Box Office

Gross USA:

$76,763, 25 October 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Madragoa Filmes, Gemini Films, Canal+

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in La donna lupo (1999)

User Reviews

French cinema at its worst.

There may be some interesting ideas about fate and chance here, but they are so deeply buried beneath a talky, uninvolving, boring, confusing and monotonous film that they aren't even worth thinking about. There's a distinct lack of emotion and interest to this film...and you'll have to struggle to get through it in one sitting. Worth seeing (a figure of speech) only for Deneuve's ageless beauty. (*1/2)