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| Isabelle (Ludivine Sagnier) and Christine (Kristen Scott Thomas) in Love Crime. |
Business as usual
French film director Alain Corneau (Tous les matins du monde; Le deuxième soufflé) and co-screenwriter Natalie Carter created Love Crime to be a labyrinthine murder mystery. Unfortunately, as much as the plot's twists and turns are fun, just keep your hand on the left wall and you'll figure out this maze.
Slick, manipulative and crispy Christine (acutely played by the fluently French Kristen Scott Thomas) loves to capitalize on her meek, but mighty bright assistant, the submissive and streamlined Isabelle (Ludivine Sagnier). Both women take pride in their successes, but as Isabelle comes to realize that Christine is using and abusing her for professional gain and personal amusement, she starts to question her loyalty to her powerful boss (though not the corporation in which they both vie for favorable futures).
Instead of Isabelle fighting the corporate system, she decides -- after being pushed to the brink of self-destruction -- to work it from the inside and plots to take down her towering boss.
Humiliation and exploitation lead to murder and the obvious suspect goes to great lengths to establish her guilt, only in order to disprove it.
Don't be fooled. Despite two strong female lead characters, this is not a feminist film and there are no victors (victorias?). While revenge might be a dish best served warm (preferably with a glass of blood-red Bordeaux), there is nothing neither wise nor noble about it. The "winner" still comes out a loser.
In addition to the acting, one of the highlights is the music, or rather the lack thereof. Centered on Pharoah Sanders' improvisational jazz piece, "Kazuko," the score is practically non-existent, which helps to add tension and tenderness at the climax of the film, while not forcing emotion throughout it.
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