Mado (1976)

Mado is a French film first released in 1976, directed by Claude Sautet.  The film stars Michel Piccoli, Ottavia Piccolo, Jacques Dutronc, Charles Denner and Romy Schneider.  Our overall rating for this film is: very good.


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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