Garde à vue (1981) - film review

In a small French town, two young girls are found raped and murdered.  The obvious suspect is a lawyer, Jérôme Martinaud.  Convinced of his guilt, Inspector Gallien summons Martinaud to his office on New Year’s Eve and starts to interrogate him.  At first, Gallien fails to make any progress, but then Martinaud’s wife appears and makes some shocking revelations...

This brilliantly taut psychological thriller from director Claude Miller features a remarkable confrontation between two leading figures in French cinema, Lino Ventura and Michel Serrault.  The minimalist style of the film heightens the tension, and an enigmatic portrayal by Romy Schneider, plus an excellent script, make this a stylish and inspired piece of cinema.   This film is much better than its mediocre American re-make, Under Suspicion (2000), which starred Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman.

© James Travers 2002

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