Épater le bourgeois (shake up the middle classes) has been an entertaining French pastime since the days of Baudelaire. Perhaps that's what this film is about. This family consists of a husband and wife who own a pleasant mansion and vineyard and are not short of the comforts of life. However, although it's not made totally clear, there is a feeling that the property actually belongs to the wife. The husband could be described as the epitome of uncharisma. He is exceptionally unprepossessing, dull and badly dressed. This makes it very odd that he evidently has a gorgeous mistress living in a smaller, modern house, a stone's throw from the major building. After she is murdered we discover that she has no family or friends of her own. There are also two adult children: a seriously flat-footed son, who comes across as a sexless and retarded music addict, with even less personality than his father; and a daughter, who is sweet-looking, but seems to lack confidence and direction. In fact the whole family lacks purpose and direction. No-one seems to be in charge. Who looks after the vineyard ? The wife wants to avoid a scandal. The verbally and occasionally physically abusive husband can't make up his mind to leave this long-suffering wife. There is also a sexy and flirtatious maid, who is unusually loosely controlled.
Then there is a body-building milkman, and a rather goofy gardener.
The daughter has an unreliable and interfering boyfriend, who appears to be quite well-off, although it is not at all clear where he gets his money. He has an impoverished buddy. These two loutishly and drunkenly impact on the family, but it is not clear why. Since it soon becomes obvious who is responsible for murdering the mistress, there is no tension in the detection. A rather obnoxious policeman tells the wife that she is the prime suspect. Needless to say, she didn't do it. The film's only tension lies in the relationships between the protagonists, which are certainly tense. The murder seems to be oedipally motivated. This can scarcely be considered a "good" film, but it is interesting. I must watch it again, to see if I can get to understand it any better. I didn't get the relevance of its title either.
Then there is a body-building milkman, and a rather goofy gardener.
The daughter has an unreliable and interfering boyfriend, who appears to be quite well-off, although it is not at all clear where he gets his money. He has an impoverished buddy. These two loutishly and drunkenly impact on the family, but it is not clear why. Since it soon becomes obvious who is responsible for murdering the mistress, there is no tension in the detection. A rather obnoxious policeman tells the wife that she is the prime suspect. Needless to say, she didn't do it. The film's only tension lies in the relationships between the protagonists, which are certainly tense. The murder seems to be oedipally motivated. This can scarcely be considered a "good" film, but it is interesting. I must watch it again, to see if I can get to understand it any better. I didn't get the relevance of its title either.