Selon Matthieu (2000)

Matthieu and Eric are two brothers who work at the same factory as their father in Normandy. When his father is dismissed for smoking on the factory floor, Matthieu is incensed and tries to have him reinstated, in vain. His brother has just got married and, with a child and mortgage on the way, is reluctant to stir up trouble. Likewise, Matthieu's fellow workers refuse to get involved. Then ... See full summary »

Director:

Xavier Beauvois

Writers:

Cédric Anger, Xavier Beauvois

Stars:

Benoît Magimel, Nathalie Baye, Antoine Chappey

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Benoît Magimel	...	Matthieu Debris
Nathalie Baye	...	Claire
Antoine Chappey	...	Eric
Fred Ulysse	...	Father
Jean-Marie Winling	...	Factory's owner
Françoise Bette	...	Mother
Mélanie Leray	...	Eric's wife
Virginie Dessevre	...	Matthieu's friend (as Virginie Dessèvre)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Chauvel	...	Union representative 2
Rémy Roubakha	...	Union representative 1

Storyline

Matthieu and Eric are two brothers who work at the same factory as their father in Normandy. When his father is dismissed for smoking on the factory floor, Matthieu is incensed and tries to have him reinstated, in vain. His brother has just got married and, with a child and mortgage on the way, is reluctant to stir up trouble. Likewise, Matthieu's fellow workers refuse to get involved. Then tragedy strikes; Matthieu's father is killed in a road accident. Convinced that his father was driven to suicide, Matthieu resolves to have his revenge. His plan is to lure his boss's wife, Claire, into an affair and so make his boss a laughing stock. Seducing Claire proves easier than he could have imagined, but then the scheme goes awry. Matthieu and Claire fall in love.

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Plot Keywords:

factory | suicide | revenge | normandy | brother versus brother | 

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Taglines:

Elle est d'un monde où l'on ne se mélange pas.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French English

Release Date:

10 January 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Die Frau des Chefs

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte France Cinéma,Canal+,Carello Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Features White Heat (1949)

User Reviews

After an intriguing start ,it amounts to (almost )nothing

Do not let the Gospel reference fool you:it is not the return of Pasolini!It has nothing to do with the Holy Writ! Actually,this Beauvois work begins quite well,with a hunting scene ,followed by a meal where the conversation is probably improvised,à la Cassavetes.Then a wedding scene which is not unlike that in Chabrol's "le boucher".So it takes at least twenty minutes before the story really begins.Then it's downhill.As soon Baye's character is on the screen ,the movie has nothing in store for the audience.The movie begins and ends with very pretentious music ,that shows a tendency to make the viewer feel he's going to watch (or has been watching) an "important " "meaningful" "deep" work.The worst of it is ,one suspects that Beauvois actually believes he's made a genuine sleeper,and does not know,has no idea at all that it's the bland and hackneyed bourgeois/blue collar love affair it actually seems to me. Mind you,Xavier,Luke ,John ,and Mark are up for grabs.