Possessions (2012)
Directed by Eric Guirado

Film Review

Having scored a notable hit with Le Fils de l'épicier (2007), a delightfully sunny rural comedy-romance, director Eric Guirado takes us into far darker territory with his third and bleakest film to date.  Inspired by a true story in which a prosperous housebuilder and his family were butchered by a disgruntled client (Xavier Flactif), Possessions has an immediate resonance as it drives home the extent of the gulf that exists today between the haves and the have-nots, reminding us of the burning resentment that is beginning to ignite the lower levels of the social pyramid.  Part thriller, part social commentary, the film provides a chilling warning of what may ensue when a society becomes fragmented by unacceptable inequalities in wealth and status.  It revives memories of the looting spree that we saw on the streets of London and other towns in the UK in the summer of 2011, the most visible sign of the jealousy-fuelled antagonism that is bubbling away beneath the surface, and perhaps the first indication of the conflagration that is yet to come.

Possessions has a distinct touch of the Claude Chabrols about it.  The subject matter is certainly Chabrolian and Guirado's understated mise-en-scène, the slow build up to a truly horrifying climax, owe as much to Chabrol as they do to H.G. Clouzot.   Guirado lacks Chabrol's confidence - not surprisingly as this is only his third full-length film - but whatever shortcomings there are on the directing front are more than adequately compensated for by the performances from the four lead actors.  Jérémie Renier and Julie Depardieu are harrowingly convincing as the seemingly ordinary couple who are gradually consumed by envy and resentment - so slowly are they transformed into the green-eyed monsters they become at the end of the film that we hardly notice the transformation.  Both actors are cast against type - Renier has never before played such a complex, multi-faceted and sinister character, and he does so with extraordinary finesse.

The real-life killings which inspred the film were so horrific (particularly the slaughter of the three children) that Guirado was unable to re-enact them accurately in his film, not that this matters.  Even with this once concession to decency, Guirado still manages to deliver a shocking punch with his masterfully constructed denouement.  A director who began his career making shorts and an eye-opening debut feature (Quand tu descendras du ciel) that reflected his concern over the injustices in present day society, Guirado does not mince his words with his latest film.  Possessions provides a timely reminder of the dangers that lie a head for a society that allows disparities in income and opportunity to grown unchecked, as they appear to have done so over the past decade.  Politicians would be wise to heed the envy-fuelled murmuring of the malcontents, as these murmurings may prove to be the overture to something truly terrible.  Envy is a very powerful and destructive emotion, as Guirado's film so graphically illustrates.

Film Synopsis

Tired of their humdrum life in the north of France, a young couple decide to move to a mountain village.  Marilyne and Bruno Caron are not well off but they can afford to rent a small chalet in what seems to them to be idyllic surroundings.  Just when they are ready to move into their new home, they discover that it is still under construction.  Property developer Patrick Castang comes to the rescue, offering them another, somewhat more impressive chalet to live in until theirs is completed.  Naturally, the Carons accept the offer and are soon happily settled in their new temporary residence.  Bruno soon finds work as a garage mechanic and the couple feel as if they have risen several rungs up the social scale.

Then it all begins to turn sour.  The Carons' own chalet is taking far longer to finish than they had hoped and in the mean time they have to endure the inconvenience of being moved again and again.  With his wife now working as the Castangs' cleaner, Bruno begins to become resentful of his supposed benefactors, who far from helping them seem to be exploiting them for their own amusement.  It isn't long before the Carons' gratitude turns to bitterness and loathing.  They resent not only the Castangs' ill-treatment of them, but also the privileged life they lead and their abundance of material possessions.  Finally, their fury becomes so intense that it causes them to hit back, with a deadly ferocity...