Mortelle randonnée (1983) - film review

Beauvoir, an ageing private detective, has spent years trying to make contact with his missing daughter.   One day, he is assigned to a murder case, and finds himself on the trail of a serial killer, Catherine.   Convinced that she is his long-lost daughter, Beauvoir helps the killer to evade capture by the police.  Catherine finally finds true love in a blind architect, Ralph, but he is killed in an accident provoked by Beauvoir’s jealousy.  Catherine once again goes on the run, teaming up with a young crook, Betty.  Undeterred, Beauvoir is not far behind…

Easily one of Claude Miller’s most striking and subversive films, Mortelle randonnée is the kind of seductively stylish comedy-thriller which only the French know how to make.  Forceful performances from charismatic lead actors Michel Serrault and Isabelle Adjani (both at their best) lend the film a spine-tingling intensity, and more than a touch of real poignancy.   Some wickedly dark black comedy and clever plot twists spice up what could have ended up as a straightforward parody of the noir thriller.   The overall result is certainly impressive – a hugely original film that veers about like an out-of-control juggernaut, switching chaotically between hard-edged thriller, profoundly unsettling drama and deliciously warped farce. It is what you might call a killingly funny romp.

© James Travers 2007

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