It is the cinematographic adaptation of a novel by Jean Teulé. The problem begins there, in the scenario: while the book describes the romance story of Hélène Jégado, a serial poisoner of the nineteenth century, the film takes the form of a biography. Too many freedoms for a documentary (acute arsenic death is described as a peaceful death!), not enough audacity for a romance. The societal and historical context are sloppy, in a Britain caricatured as a haunt of superstition. Thank God, Déborah François saves the film by a remarkable game, especially in terms of facial expressions. Finally, the film depicts Hélène Jégado's tortured personality better than it explains it. Every time "Fleur de Tonnerre" tries to explain why Helen Jégado became what she was, it fails miserably. On the other hand, it succeeds in introducing us into everyday life and hidden madness of a distracted mind.
3 Reviews
Hélène, portrait of a serial killer
searchanddestroy-121 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
You have here the portrait of an actual French female serial killer, a sort of old fashioned Poison Ivy, who lived in the nineteenth century, in Brittany. It is well known that the women serial killers are assassins most of the time for financial reasons, on the contrary of men who kill because they are simply crazy, psychopaths or lunatics. The women kill the wealthy husbands whom they marry with only to get the money from their deaths. In this moving film, it is not the same. The young woman poisons nearly every one whom she meets kills because she had a very difficult childhood, after her mother died, after her father let her know that he did not love her - very intense moment - and after she was raised by her god mother, whom she killed. And this was the very beginning of her deadly odyssey. Yes, it is a very desperate and poignant film, although some points are rather a little weak in the script, and some scenes corny, maybe because of a poor Benjamin Biolay's performance, not convincing at all. I highly appreciated the fact that it is never explained why the lead character makes so much effort to let the people know that she kills, and show so many evidences of her lethal behaviour. The sequence with the old man, played by Jean-Claude Drouot, is unforgettable. The old man has understood that the girl killed many people before and he accepts the fact that she prepares a cup pf tea for him, and he even thanks her for this. And then don't miss the assassin's face. Outstanding performance. Only for these few seconds, I will watch the film again.
Thunderflower
wim-vorster25 April 2019
Last night I saw a very interesting movie (broadcast on TV5MONDE) based on fact.
Hélène Jégado (1803 - 1852) was probably one of the first, if not the very first, female serial killer in modern history. Known as Fleur de Tonnerrre she is believed to have poisoned as many as 36 people with arsenic over 18 years, hence the film's English title The Poisoning Angel.
Déborah François gives an entirely convincing performance as the beguiling chef who as a child was told by her mother that she is the bearer of Ankou (something akin to the Grim Reaper). Her mother was in fact her very first victim.
The rest of the cast follows suit and both period feel and 'look' are perfect. So is the music which is never obtrusive and in tone with the late nineteenth century.
In contrast with Hollywood crap such as Disturbed (starring Christina Ricci and John Cusack) this work directed by Stéphanie Pillonca with script by Gustave Kervern creates suspense while giving insight into a woman's disturbed psyche.
Hélène Jégado (1803 - 1852) was probably one of the first, if not the very first, female serial killer in modern history. Known as Fleur de Tonnerrre she is believed to have poisoned as many as 36 people with arsenic over 18 years, hence the film's English title The Poisoning Angel.
Déborah François gives an entirely convincing performance as the beguiling chef who as a child was told by her mother that she is the bearer of Ankou (something akin to the Grim Reaper). Her mother was in fact her very first victim.
The rest of the cast follows suit and both period feel and 'look' are perfect. So is the music which is never obtrusive and in tone with the late nineteenth century.
In contrast with Hollywood crap such as Disturbed (starring Christina Ricci and John Cusack) this work directed by Stéphanie Pillonca with script by Gustave Kervern creates suspense while giving insight into a woman's disturbed psyche.
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