LOVE CRIME
Directed by: Alain Corneau
Written by: Alain Corneau and Nathalie Carter
Starring: Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas, Patrick Mille, and Guillaume Marquet
In the mid to early nineties, there was a surge in female driven revenge thrillers in American cinema. SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, THE HAND THE ROCKS THE CRADLE and THE TEMP being some of the best. The genre was revived briefly a few years ago with OBSESSED and most recently with THE ROOMMATE. Now the French attempt to have a stab at it. Since this is European cinema we’re talking here, LOVE CRIME’s thrills are more of the cerebral, mind-games variety that than a drastic turn into murder.
Agribusiness exec Christine (Scott Thomas) and her young ingénue assistant, Isabelle (Sagnier), use every weapon in their arsenal to get what they want – sex, blackmail, whatever it takes. On a business trip Isabelle takes on her boss’ urging, Isabelle beds Christine’s handsome boyfriend Philippe (Patrick Mille), an accountant who’s not only part of Christine’s extortion, but a pawn in these two ladies’ cruel game.
But soon Christine begins taking credit for Isabelle’s ideas, and a coworker (Guillaume Marquet) begins to put thoughts in Isabelle’s head about Christine’s machinations. It’s going to be a battle of feminine wills and wiles as Isabelle and Christine plot and scheme against each other in increasingly criminal ways.
However, the second act loses steam after Isabelle is accused of murder. We become lost and confused rather than intrigued and engaged. It feels like it peaks to early when the backstabbing should continue to build. Things feel like they’re moving sideways until we can figure out what’s really going on.
The script from Alain Corneau and Nathalie Carter has some great core ideas such as female office politics, mentorship, and the effects revenge can have. But the script never quite achieves what it sets out to be – a taut, layered physiological thriller. I only wished it was more vicious, complex and destructive. It winds up being a semi-uninteresting bore of an office catfight that ends far too soon. The real crime here is that there wasn’t better material for Sagnier and Thomas to chew on, as they make a formidable on screen pairing. Thomas is deliciously wicked as Christine, and Sagnier plays Isabelle’s metamorphosis – from the weak and mousy assistant to the strong, dominating boss – flawlessly.
Even for fans of the two lead actresses, LOVE CRIME’s slow plodding pace becomes exasperating. During the film’s second act we feel like we are too are trapped in prison with Isabelle awaiting the sweet reprieve – ours of the closing credits kind. Ultimately, the third act is the most satisfying part of the film. However, it’s too little too late and this winds up being a carbon copy version of DAMAGES.
Despite its maladies, there are some delights. Katia Wyszkop’s production design exudes minimalist chic and is used as an effective tool in character development. The stark modernist interiors of both home and office, echo the chill in our two leads’ souls. Frequent Corneau collaborator, director of cinematography Yves Angelo, shoots in cool colors that add a layer of frost to compliment the film’s tone.
LOVE CRIME opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 2.
