The film starts, the credits roll, Annie Girardots face fills the screen and the music begins. From the very first sequence on, the film is as wonderfully atmospheric as a French criminal story of the 70s can be. Every detail perfectly fits in this disturbing story of, basically, a woman's suffering. She suffers in the face of a horrible crime and it's even more horrible solution. Girardot is a brilliant, utterly convincing actress. Her performance alone is worth all cost and search for this rare gem. On the one hand, not a film to set you in good mood; and there's no relaxing finale, anyway. But, on the other hand, a highly tense story and technically a lesson on how crime flicks used to be made with respect to narration, thrill and atmosphere. Note: A few striking similarities may be found in the much later "The Clearing".
Review of À chacun son enfer
