Mado (1976) - film review

Middle-aged businessman Simon Léotard finds his future in jeopardy when his partner Julien commits suicide after having accumulated a mass of debts.  Simon’s unscrupulous business rival Lépidon offers to save him from bankruptcy by buying his company, at a discount rate.  Reluctant to fall into Lépidon’s trap, Simon decides to resolve the crisis himself.  A prostitute, Mado, provides him with the solution to his problems…

Another exquisitely composed portrait of mid-life crisis from Claude Sautet, Mado is an absorbing work which engages the spectator by solidly locking onto the personal traumas of its well-drawn characters.  Michel Piccoli, in his fourth collaboration with Sautet, turns in another compelling performance, skilfully portraying a character whose reluctance to accept defeat is tempered by a growing realisation of his own mortality.  Sautet’s reputation for quality is reflected in the calibre of his cast, which includes the excellent Romy Schneider in an all-too-brief appearance.

© James Travers 2004

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