The Unfaithful Wife

Hitchcockian elements combine with carefully designed cinematography and a portentous score to lend an air of existential doom to this thriller about a bourgeois couple willing to do anything except have a conversation. Tense and interesting without being engrossing.

It seems to be the usual case with Chabrol that had I not seen it and someone were to tell me the plot to the movie, I might shrug and say it sounds banal. The excellent writing, directing and acting make all the difference.

I can't explain. But I must, I must have more Chabrol.

Pretty disappointing. There's some good material here, both as a suspense film and as a study of adultery, but it didn't gel all that well. This was not helped by the inconsistent tone of the film, the awkward music cues and the inconsistent supporting acting. If you can get over the rough edges its not a bad film though.

# 796

Some call it subtle, I call it bland.

Extremely subtle work from Chabrol's superb middle period. It starts slow but continues to grow in power until the it reaches its surprising end.

I had to study a scene from this when I was at school. The detail put into particular scenes is the strong point as that is where the careful direction shines. Probably deserves a re-watch outside the classroom.

857

one of those films where the family unit takes care of a rogue element on the quiet and returns to its bougie idyll like nothing happened. as brilliantly calibrated as it is in the details (that score...), the final act reveals it to be too big-picture straightforward, a single grotesque joke extended to feature length. maybe the issue is we've seen the same thing so many times now; there's something almost proto-haneke in its smug, clinical provocations.

The first Chabrol film to have caught my interest immensely. Its quality is in the skill of the writing of the work, taking a standard plotline of adultery and - through its thoughtful presentation and the willingness to jump between film genres with expertise - creating a film which doesn't need to exasperate itself or heighten the story for dramatic effect. Its almost an Hitchcock story Chabrol purposely removed the 'suspense' aspect from, making the character drama just as immersive instead.

Another Chabrol film of this period where more emphasis is placed on tone and atmosphere than the nuts and bolts of the plot. It works for the most part - there are some genuinely suspenseful scenes, and the uneasy atmosphere is accentuated by the awkward silences, the stilted conversations and the furtive camera-work. It falters a few times though, most notably in the aftermath of the murder scene, which was a tad unrealistic.

A Stéphane é muito magnética

Em honra de Stéphane Audran (1932 - 2018) filme #3 Tô meio assustada com as notas baixas dos filmes do Chabrol por aqui, será que estamos vendo os mesmos filmes? Esse aqui particularmente pega a estrutura narrativa de Psycho e constrói um ritmo e atmosfera sem igual, Chabrol é definitivamente o rei do suspense psicossexual. DVDRip no MakingOff

Slow at first but it builds an impressive momentum and from there it never tires. The score is incredibly disturbing. I need to see more films with Maurice Ronnet.

Again, a thriller-drama menage, and a very taut slow build to a poignant, beautiful finale.

Better than its' remake "Unfaithful" but something is still missing.