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TThere’s nothing like a home invasion skeptic to provide a change of pace in the Cannes competition, and Léa Mysius’ film – adapted from the French bestseller. Night Stories by Laurent Mauvignier – it’s not bad at all, although the third story comes out and one of the shocks doesn’t seem to just shake and change itself. However, the film shows the strangeness of rural areas Deep France rural and gonzo shooting; and there is a perfect turn from Benoît Magimel, who with every film seems to be a perfect fit between Gérard Depardieu and Christopher Walken.
In a remote bucolic village, Thomas (Bastien Bouillon) is a hardworking dairy farmer who took over the family’s small farm after his father committed suicide. After a whirlwind courtship, he marries Nora (Hafsia Herzi), the city’s most beautiful woman who just appeared in the neighborhood; they have a daughter, Ida who recently pissed off Nora by sending a wacky video of the three of them doing a goofy “family dance”, which is gone. The family has a close relationship with a beautiful artist who lives alone next to the house, played by Monica Bellucci in a beautiful version. Thomas is worried about money; we see him on the phone trying to borrow money from someone who reluctantly helped him, because he needs €300 to pay for Nora’s approaching 40th birthday party. On the same day, three sinister boys appear in the house, played by Magimel, Paul Hamy and Alane Delhaye. We might think we know who came to see them and why – but things are much more complicated than that.
The movie gives us head-to-head encounters between Magimel and Herzi, Magimel and Bouillon and Hamy and the rest. There is a beautiful and mysterious place where the birthday party is not very interesting – although, as I said, the main conflict between Bellucci’s artist and Delhaye’s criminals is unfolding, and it feels like the rewriting did not understand this. However: the conflict is well managed and Magimel is dangerous.
