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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Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Le cercle de minuit: Episode dated 24 March 1997 (1997)

User Reviews

Can the surreal be made to seem real?

Briefly, a woman lawyer for a young man accused of killing his psychiatrist aunt gets him acquitted, falls in love with him (?), becomes his victim for blackmail, and finally kills him, apparently along with all of his friends. What I am about to say further reveals a sort of "surprise" ending, so please don't read on until you have seen the film!

It's all a flashback, as the lawyer tells her lawyer the story while in prison awaiting trial. On the surface, that's the story, but be warned that when you venture on this film, you enter a nightmare world where little is what it seems; all is indefinite. The adjective "surreal" is apropos, but the writer seems at once to be poking fun at the "science" of psychoanalysis, while "psychoanalysing" the audience. One of the "psycoanalysts" (I omitted the "h" intentionally)opines that everyone acts out a story from the past that is endlessly repeated. He summarises from an old story: the lawyer was the ghost of the aunt, seeking revenge on the man who killed her.

Catherine Deneuve is certainly fascinating enough to be both quick and dead, but is there any real sense to all of this? Probably not. I think the director was poking fun at all of us, while indulging in some wild and fascinating camera perspectives. If this sort of thing delights you, you'll love this film. Frankly, it's not my cup of tea, and I rated it a 5 of 10.

Details

Country:

France Portugal

Language:

French

Release Date:

27 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Genealogias de um Crime

Box Office

Gross USA:

$77,998

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Madragoa Filmes, Gemini Films, Canal+

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1