L'ivresse du pouvoir (2006)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Claude Chabrol

Writers:

Odile Barski (writer)
Claude Chabrol (writer)

Release Date:

22 February 2006 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A magistrate investigates a corporate executive.

Plot Keywords:

Fraud | Gloves | Hospital | Sabotage | Bodyguard

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Isabelle Huppert	...	Jeanne Charmant-Killman
François Berléand	...	Michel Humeau
Patrick Bruel	...	Jacques Sibaud
Marilyne Canto	...	Erika
Robin Renucci	...	Philippe Charmant-Killman
Thomas Chabrol	...	Félix
Jean-François Balmer	...	Boldi
Pierre Vernier	...	Président Martino
Jacques Boudet	...	Descarts
Philippe Duclos	...	Jean-Baptiste Holéo
Roger Dumas	...	René Lange
John Arnold	...	Homme jaguar #1
Jean-Christophe Bouvet	...	Me Parlebas
Jacques Bouanich	...	Le gardien de la prison
Benoît Charpentier	...	Journaliste économique

Also Known As:

A Comedy of Power (Canada: English title)
Comedy of Power (Singapore: English title)
Geheime Staatsaffären (Germany)
La comédie du pouvoir (France) (working title)
The Comedy of Power (USA) (literal English title)

Runtime:

USA:110 min | France:110 min | Argentina:110 min

Country:

France | Germany

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Hôpital, Le Vésinet, Yvelines, France

Company:

Alicéléo

Trivia:

The scenario is based on a true story, the "Affaire Elf" political and financial scandal in France.

Soundtrack:

Peer Gynt

Part Thriller, Part Picture of a Marriage

Jan 7, 2007

In Comedy of Power, Isabelle Huppert plays Jeanne Charmant-Killman, a driven French investigating judge who is committed to rooting out systemic corporate corruption and bribery. As a judge and a woman, she finds herself lined up against entrenched old-boy attitudes and an acceptance of corporate corruption shared by most of the powerful older male characters including those in a position to influence her career.

Comedy of Power asks whether a woman in a position of power and influence can be effective and also have a life. Huppert is superb as the skinny workaholic Charmant-Killman (is this last name an intentional pun, I wonder). She has no time to eat or sleep, little or no empathy or tendresse and no time for her husband. It is difficult to decide where Chabrol comes out on the question of whether she is admirable for her determination and courage or despicable for her ambition and callousness. Perhaps, in just posing the question in such stark terms, Chabrol ultimately displays his own prejudice.

At the same time that Comedy of Power examines these somewhat cerebral questions, it also manages to keep us on the edge of our seat (not on a Hitchcockian level, but enough to make us flinch when the doorbell rings).

All in all, this was a very good movie.