Summary
Elaine Briand lives with her husband David in a futuristic house in the country which
he, a distinguished architect, designed. Missing city life, Elaine readily accepts
the offer of a job managing a recording studio for a friend Christian. Coincidentally,
at this time a strange couple arrive on their doorstep looking for work. Cappy Bronsky,
partly disabled after losing his arm in an building site accident, persuades David to
employ him as his gardener, whilst his wife, Hazel, offers her services as a babysitter,
looking after the Briand’s young daughter Cric whilst they are at work.
Elaine becomes uneasy about the arrangement, particularly when she notices that Hazel
is maltreating Cric. Finally, David tells her the reason why he is employing the
Bronskys. Cappy’s injuries were caused when a building that David designed
collapsed. It soon becomes clear that the Bronskys are out for revenge. But
how far are they planning to go…?
Review
Psycho meets Friday
the 13th in this tense and rather gory revenge thriller. This kind of film is pretty
rare in French cinema and those that are made, like this one, tend to be more or less
direct re-workings of contemporary American horror-thrillers. You do get a horrible
sense of déja-vu watching this film, but it is well made, with some respectable
acting and a remarkably effective set. Where the film excels over its American counterparts
is in its characterisation; clearly, we will feel more for the characters in the film
if they are portrayed convincingly and sympathetically – and this is where the film
is strongest. Some of the scenes are viscerally shocking and the last fifteen minutes
of the film are extraordinarily suspenseful, even if some of the death scenes have a slightly
comical Grand Guignol edge to them. Dominique Lavanant’s utterly creepy performance
gives the drama a touch of surreal menace, reminiscent of that seen in a similar kind
of film from Claude Chabrol, La
Cérémonie (1995).
© James Travers 2004
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© James Travers 2004
Write a review for this film...
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Useful links
- Best French films of 2011
- Best French films of the 2000s
- Best of the French New Wave
- Best of French film comedy
- The best 100 French films
- The most successful French films
- Great French filmmakers
Related links
- The best French thrillers
- Other French films of the 1980s
- The best French films of the 1980s
- Other French thrillers
- Biography and films of Joël Santoni
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Credits
- Director: Joël Santoni
- Script: Joël Santoni, Philippe Setbon, based on the novel “Died on a Rainy Sunday” by Joan Aiken
- Photo: Jean Boffety, Pavel Korinek
- Music: Vladimir Cosma
- Cast: Nicole Garcia (Elaine Briand), Dominique Lavanant (Hazel Bronsky), Jean-Pierre Bacri (David Briand), Jean-Pierre Bisson (Cappy Bronsky), Jean-Pierre Malo (Alain Milles), Christine Laurent (Diane), Etienne Chicot (Christian), Pierre Arbel, Denis Favrichon, Jean Filliez, Rene Groulade, Yves Jolidon, Cerise Leclerc (Cric Briand)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Runtime: 109 min
- Aka: Death on a Rainy Sunday
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