Summary
François Durrieux ought to be a happy man. He has a
well-paid job, a sympathetic wife and a son that he loves. But
mid-life crisis is looming and when it strikes, it strikes with a
vengeance. The trigger is the suicide of one of his colleagues,
who was also a personal friend. The man was found dead in his
office shortly after being dismissed by his employer.
François is so shocked by this that he resigns and later takes
his revenge out on his boss. His life has only just begun to fall
apart...
Review
This first feature from Fabienne Godet, a former psychologist turned
director, promises much – an impressive cast (including Oscar winner
Marion Cotillard) and an intriguing opening sequence in the film noir
tradition. Things start off well enough – the performances and
camerawork bring a striking realism and an intense mood of oppression
and hopelessness, whilst the first person perspective effectively
conveys to us the troubled psychological state of the central
protagonist.
The problems emerge towards the middle of the film when some awkward contrivances creep into the plot and the secondary characters appear too thinly sketched for them to support the rest of the narrative. The relentlessly austere mood of the film soon becomes monotonous and, far from winning our sympathy, the main character begins to appear unlikeable, despite a creditable performance from Olivier Gourmet. Sauf le respect que je vous dois is an acceptable debut film with many strengths but it suffers from a slight lack of focus and credibility in the screenwriting department.
© filmsdefrance.com 2009
Write a review for this film...
The problems emerge towards the middle of the film when some awkward contrivances creep into the plot and the secondary characters appear too thinly sketched for them to support the rest of the narrative. The relentlessly austere mood of the film soon becomes monotonous and, far from winning our sympathy, the main character begins to appear unlikeable, despite a creditable performance from Olivier Gourmet. Sauf le respect que je vous dois is an acceptable debut film with many strengths but it suffers from a slight lack of focus and credibility in the screenwriting department.
© filmsdefrance.com 2009
Write a review for this film...
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Useful links
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Related links
- Other French films of the 2000s
- The best French films of the 2000s
- Other French dramas
- The best French dramas
- Biography and films of Fabienne Godet
To buy this film
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Credits
- Director: Fabienne Godet
- Script: Fabienne Godet, Juliette Sales, Franck Vassal
- Photo: Crystel Fournier
- Music: Dario Marianelli
- Cast: Olivier Gourmet (François Durrieux), Dominique Blanc (Clémence Durrieux), Julie Depardieu (Flora), Marion Cotillard (Lisa), Jeffrey Barbeau (Benjamin Durrieux), Jean-Michel Portal (Simon Lacaze), Jean-Marie Winling (Bruner), Pascal Elso (Marc), François Levantal (Jean), Guy Lecluyse (Grégory), Martine Chevallier (Julie), Hans Meyer (Lunel), Marie Piton (Agnès), Yvan Garouel (Autre collègue), Blandine Lenoir (Marie), Ludmila Ruoso (Anna)
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Runtime: 90 min
- Aka: Burnt Out
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To buy Sauf le respect que je vous dois:

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