Sauf le respect que je vous dois (2005)
Directed by Fabienne Godet

Film 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.

Film Synopsis

François Durrieux works for a company where everyone is expected to give one hundred per cent all of the time.  There is no place for slackers in this efficient, well-oiled organisation.  Unfortunately, François's new boss has a habit of pushing people too far and an aura of nervous tension now pervades the company.  Things come to a head one day when one of François's colleagues, a close friend named Simon, gets himself dismissed.  Devastated, Simon commits suicide in his office not long after he was fired.  François is so shocked by this turn of events that he feels he must resign his position at once.  Confused and disgusted, his one thought is to take his revenge out on his former boss.  And things had been going so well for the happily married forty year old.  Now his whole world is about to fall apart...