Innocent Lies (1995)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Patrick Dewolf

Writers:

Kerry Crabbe (writer)
Patrick Dewolf (writer)

Release Date:

30 June 1995 (UK)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

In September 1938 a British detective comes to a small French coastal town in order to investigate the death of a colleague...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Sexual Tension | Stabbed To Death | Brother Sister Relationship | Mother Daughter Relationship

Cast

Adrian Dunbar	...	Alan Cross
Florence Hoath	...	Angela Cross
Sophie Aubry	...	Solange Montfort
Joanna Lumley	...	Lady Helena Graves
Gabrielle Anwar	...	Celia Graves
Alexis Denisof	...	Christopher Wood
Stephen Dorff	...	Jeremy Graves
Marianne Denicourt	...	Maud Graves
Melvil Poupaud	...	Louis Bernard
Bernard Haller	...	Georges Montfort
Rosalind Bennett	...	Janet Blain
Keira Knightley	...	Young Celia
Tobias Saunders	...	Celia's Brother #1
Robin Saunders	...	Celia's Brother #2
Charles Duron	...	Beach Boy
Michel Winogradoff	...	Albert
Yvon Back	...	Inspector Talmi
Alexandra Monvoisin	...	Zaza
Marianne Segol	...	Gigi
Tatjana Verdonik	...	Maud's Mother
Oskar Freitag	...	Maud's Father
Alan Ross	...	Station Clerk
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donal McCann	...	Joe Green (uncredited)

Directed by
Patrick Dewolf

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kerry Crabbe		writer
Patrick Dewolf		writer

Produced by
Philippe Carcassonne	....	associate producer
Daniel Delume	....	line producer
Philippe Guez	....	producer
Simon Perry	....	producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Patrick Blossier

Film Editing by
Joëlle Hache
Chris Wimble

Production Design by
Bernd Lepel

Costume Design by
Tom Rand

Makeup Department
Clarisse Domine	....	key makeup artist
Peter King	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sylvain Bouladoux	....	assistant unit manager
Richard Lalonde	....	production manager
Antoine Vierny	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vincent Canaple	....	first assistant director
Peter Heslop	....	assistant director

Art Department
Amanda Grenville	....	set dresser
Jonathan Hurst	....	props
Boris Piot	....	swing gang

Sound Department
Don Banks	....	boom operator
Harry Barnes	....	dialogue editor
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer
Colin Ritchie	....	supervising sound editor
Ivan Sharrock	....	production sound mixer
Alan Snelling	....	foley recordist
Richard Pryke	....	assistant re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: CFC
Mark Nelmes	....	digital visual effects supervisor: CFC

Stunts
Rémi Canaple	....	stunts
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunt coordinator
Patrick Cauderlier	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Pascal Ridao	....	camera operator

Other crew
Marie McFerran	....	production coordinator
Deryn Stafford	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Cinéa
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• Red Umbrella Productions
• Septième Production

Distributors

• Sogepaq Distribución (Spain)
• PolyGram Video (USA) (VHS)
• Top Tape (Brazil) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC)

Other Companies

• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Also Known As:

Halcyon Days (UK) (working title)
Les péchés mortels (France)

Runtime:

Australia:88 min | Spain:87 min | UK:88 min | Argentina:88 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | Spain:18 | UK:18 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Morbihan, France

Company:

Cinéa

Trivia:

The original script was based on "Towards Zero", a novel by Agatha Christie. When Christie's daughter, Rosalind Hicks, reviewed the screenplay, she demanded that her mother should remain uncredited, and the character names changed. This was because of the inclusion of incest.

Soundtrack:

C'est lui qu' mon coeur a choisi

Tries WAAAAY Too Hard....

Is it a war movie? Is it film noir? Is it cheap titillation? A deep exploration of complex and controversial relationships? This film cannot decide what it is and so, as another person noted, must require several viewings in order to make sense. Sadly, it is just not compelling enough to warrant multiple viewings - unlike other films that ARE rich with complex themes and artistic vision.

The actors valiantly try to overcome the morass that is the script - but were probably as annoyed as the rest of us at the myriad loose threads that never tie up.

Adrian Dunbar portrays the frustration of someone tempted and confused by things around him - he must be the avatar for the viewer. Stephen Dorff offers another workmanlike portrayal of your friendly neighborhood rebel without a clue. Gabrielle Anwar, who is usually a fine actor, is stuck with a character whose neuroses become tedious and irritating by the end of the film. Joanna Lumley escapes caricature by a false eyelash and looks luminous in the period fashions. The rest of the cast are superfluous at best and annoying distractions at worst, doing nothing to advance the story. They and the plot lines that involve them do not even qualify as decent red herrings.

The cinematography is lovely - very atmospheric and evocative of the era - as are the costumes and staging.

Unfortunately, Dewolf's grasp at Art exceeded his reach and no amount of plot devices can make this murky movie anything more than a mild diversion. Perhaps the fault lies with the editing - which would explain the subplots that disappear and other senseless oddities. A tighter script, a focused plot, and less cheap titillation would have permitted this talented cast to fully engage the viewer in a riveting mystery flick.