Film Review
Possibly the most stylish screen adaptation of an Ed McBain novel,
Sans mobile apparent is an
affective, albeit slightly flawed, synthesis of the American and French
detective thriller, set on the sun-drenched French Riviera. On
the plus side, the film is well-directed and has a great cast, with
memorable turns from its star performers Jean-Louis Trintignant and
Jean-Pierre Marielle. It is imaginatively shot and edited,
although some of the stylistic flourishes veer dangerously towards the
self-indulgent and provide an unwelcome distraction from the
plot. This was the second of seven films directed by
journalist-turned writer-director Philippe Labro, who would direct some
very popular and distinctive thrillers in the 1970s, notably
L'Héritier
(1973).
© James Travers 2009
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Philippe Labro film:
L'Héritier (1973)
Film Synopsis
In Nice, Inspector Carella is puzzled by the seemingly motiveless murders
of two men - Tony Forest and Pierre Barroyer. The two victims would
seem to have nothing in common, apart from the manner in which they were
killed - both were shot in the centre of the forehead by a sniper rifle.
Carella's first break comes when he finds another man to connect the two
murdered men - an astrologist named Hans Kleinberg who acted as a courier
for both of them, taking money to Switzerland. But before the inspector
can find out more, Kleinberg is suddenly shot dead. A third victim,
and still no apparent motive for murder.
Carella gets his second lead when Forest's daughter-in-law Sandra supplies
him with the first victim's diary, which records various meetings with his
many mistresses. One of these, Jocelyne Rocca, agrees to meet with
the inspector at his home, but neither gains anything from the interview.
On leaving the apartment, Jocelyne becomes the mysterious killer's fourth
victim. Through the window, Carella catches a glimpse of the sniper
and gives chase - but in vain. The killer is too fast for him.
The investigation appears to have stalled when Sandra comes to the inspector's
aid a second time. She is rehearsing a stage play at the Théâtre
de Verdure. Carella is interested to discover that Sandra's director,
Palombo, wrote this play eight years ago, and when it was first performed
four of the roles were taken by the four murder victims - Forest, Barroyer,
Kleinberg and Rocca - whilst they were at university. It is surely
no coincidence that these four were killed in exactly the same order in which
they appeared on stage in the play. The fifth member of the original
cast, the television presenter Julien Sabirnou, looks set to be the next
murder victim - unless Carella can get to him in time. But what could
possibly be the motive for these killings, and who is responsible...?
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.