KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

MARIO GAUCI The English title of this one could perhaps give the erroneous impression of being a black comedy when actually it turns out to be a combination of financial thriller and family drama. This could in itself constitute a disappointment for discriminating viewers but, a minor work though it is, I cannot say I was bored during the film's nearly two-hour running-time.Constituting the seventh collaboration between director Chabrol and his female star Isabelle Huppert since 1978's VIOLETTE NOZIERE, the film boasts another fine turn from the formidable French actress as a dreaded Judge dubbed "The Piranha" investigating a convoluted series of financial transactions involving various international conglomerates. Huppert's first 'victim' is allergy-ridden businessman Francois Berleand, later a celebrity middle-man and even a supposed suitor of Huppert's. Her uncompromising stand soon sees her treading on big-league toes and she is given a couple of promotions (and an initially antagonistic female partner) to throw her off the scent of the misappropriated funds.Back home, Huppert's family life is no bed of roses, either: her husband is often relegated to the sidelines not just by her all-important workload but also by his own charismatic live-in nephew (played by the director's own son, Thomas). To top it all off, Huppert's offices are broken into, she has a traffic accident and is briefly hospitalized, Huppert quits her husband who subsequently leaps (albeit not fatally) out of the window and Huppert's loyal secretary is, at the very end of the film, discovered to have been the mole all along! While the narrative may seem busy enough from this synopsis, the film's talky nature makes its pace a fairly slow one; however, as I already intimated earlier on, Chabrol's unwavering professionalism and consummate elegance and the solid performances on display ensure the viewer's interest in the proceedings despite the possibly unappealing milieu of financial intrigue.

kosmasp ... could've been better. At least that's what I think. This movie does start with a phenomenal pace and you get sucked into the story, but then after a little while it drags and you're wondering where the passion of the first few minutes has gone. I wondered that and you might too.Let's take a look at the actors though, because they are doing a fabulous job here. And the movie will stand of fall for you (the viewer), with your perception of Jeanne Charmant-Killman (played by Isabelle Huppert). If you don't like her, than you will hate this movie.Despite all that, this is still an engaging film, that has a few surprises up it's sleeves, so it's up to you, if this genre is something worth watching.

Paul Creeden I confess right from the beginning to being a fan of Isabelle Huppert. I am also a student of Claude Chabrol films. I say 'student', because his films are intellectual and challenging in nature. This film is a film of our times. And its themes are also timeless. The flawed protagonist, Huppert, lives shamelessly in front of the camera. She is very human, as well as idealistic. And her idealism is personal and competitive, as well as moralistic. Chabrol has captured grand corruption in a simple narrative about people alone and in conversation. Never slick, always homely and familiar. Isabelle Huppert's performance is tempered and unusually restrained. Her aptitude for endowing her characters with mannerism and eccentricity by using simple gestures and facial expressions is in full play here. This is a film that requires effort to appreciate, but it leaves you feeling quite full.

rdjeffers Saturday June 17, 9:30pm The NeptuneAn invitation to the home of a great chef requires no knowledge of the menu beforehand; it will surely be a culinary delight. The latest offering from the great French filmmaker Claude Chabrol, A Comedy of Power (L'lvresse du pouvior) is just such a feast. A powerful French magistrate is on the prowl against corporate corruption to the occasional dismay of her less than honest superiors. Issabelle Huppert stars as Jeanne Charmant-Killman, driven by her work at the cost of her personal life and ultimately her safety. Chabrol allows his powerful and richly composed camera-work to obsess on this exquisite actress throughout the film, who remains as remarkably beautiful now as she was in Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate. As she blithely moves from office to home an air of tense anticipation builds with the constant looming threat of retaliation from the men of power she is morally charged with pursuing.