Sac de noeuds (1985)

Sac de noeuds is a French film comedy-drama first released in 1985, directed by Josiane Balasko.  The film stars Isabelle Huppert, Josiane Balasko, Farid Chopel, Jean Carmet and Coluche.  It has also been released under the title: All Mixed Up.  Our overall rating for this film is: good.


Alone and penniless, a middle-aged woman Anita is about to commit suicide when another woman, Rose, suddenly takes refuge in her apartment.  Rose is pursued by her brutal husband, a policeman, who ends up being knocked unconscious and stabbed in the ensuing struggle.  Believing the policeman to be dead, Rose and Anita go on the run, resorting to prostitution and violence to acquire transport.  On their way, they meet up with Rico, a young criminal who has just unwittingly escaped from police custody.  Rico rejoins the two rebellious women after he is raped by a man who gave him a lift and accompanies them on their journey.

Sac de noeuds marks the directorial debut for Josiane Balasko, a comic actress who had made a big name for herself in the 1970s and 1980s, appearing in such cult comic films as Les Bronzés (1978) and Le Père Noël est une ordure (1982).  Usually, the subject of Balsko’s films reflects her own comic style – brash, vulgar and darkly satirical – and Sac de noeuds is, whilst not her best film, typical of her approach to comedy.

Whilst Sac de noeuds has a number of very funny set pieces and some respectable visual jokes, it is a strange kind of comedy that Balasko presents us with.  It might be called “social comedy” (as opposed to “social drama”), in which the plight of ordinary women is caricatured without losing sight of the reality experienced by many vulnerable women.  The style is certainly original but the film is less well thought out than Balsako’s later films, and the odd mix of black comedy and road movie often appears muddled and directionless.  In particular, the character Rico doesn’t seem to fit alongside the two lead women characters; his entry and exit in the film are botched and what he does in between is largely predictable.  By contrast, it’s a treat to see Isabelle Huppert playing an obviously comical character with maturity and depth.  Unfortunately, her presence in this film is largely overwhelmed by a very silly, rambling plot and Josiane Balasko’s extraordinary screen presence.

© James Travers 2005

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I saw this film in France when it was originally released, but have never seen it since and I don’t think it’s ever been shown on TV in the UK, or released on video/DVD here. I only have very vague memories of it after all these years, but I know it was very popular at the time and I enjoyed it very much, despite not speaking French fluently. Most significantly it was the first time I ever saw the wonderful Isabelle Huppert on screen, so as you can imagine it is a very significant film for me!
Tristram Knight (UK)

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