The Swindle (1997) Poster

(1997)

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7/10
As A Con Fan I Must Say
jzappa13 May 2007
It was refreshing seeing a con film again. As it is, it is quite light, and there is hardly anything I haven't seen in it, but does being pleased necessitate a constantly churning wheel of brand new things? It's a fun hour and forty-five minutes of standard con mechanics, and if you like con mechanics you will be delighted.

There is a point where you will find yourself surprised as the tone the film suddenly takes and controls well. Another thing it controls well is its handling of its twists, for there are always twists and mentioning their mere presence is like mentioning Spider-Man's presence in Spider-Man 3. The twists are interesting in that they feel predictable or that they're taking the simple way out, but that is never for certain.

Michael Serrault is the film's great highlight. He is tremendously likable and infectiously dry, and his occasional physical timing or subtly crisp one-liner holds the film's smiling side at bay amidst some token moments of comic relief, namely the presence of the gaudy widow whom Serrault constantly must try to hide from. And of course Huppert, as the film's real star, is truly perfect as a con woman, a 100% confident seductress, the fleshed out realization of the practically imagined version of a con woman. She does not stand out nor is she below par, even if she is upstaged a wee bit by Serrault, because she even characterizes her character's elusive quality.
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7/10
Highly Entertaining Despite the Flaws
claudio_carvalho1 March 2015
The smalltime swindlers Elizabeth "Betty" (Isabelle Huppert) and Victor (Michel Serrault) make a living by cheating naive people. After swindling a salesman of garden tools in the French Riviera, Betty travels on vacation alone and schedule a next scheme in ten days in a congress for dentists in Sils Maria. However Betty arrives at the hotel with Maurice Biagini (François Cluzet), who is the treasurer of a company that is traveling cuffed to a wallet with five-million francs. She tells Victor that she has the intentions of stealing his money and Victor plots a scheme using the naivety of Maurice. But soon the con artists have to face the dangerous associates of Maurice.

"Rien ne va plus" is a highly entertaining thriller by Claude Chabrol. I saw this movie for the first time in the late 90's and I liked it more than today. There are flaws along the story that I did not pay attention when I watched it long time ago. But if the viewer does not think too much, he or she will like the plot points in this film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Negócios à Parte" ("Business Aside")
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7/10
Lighter Chabrol, but enjoyable
allyjack30 September 1999
The movie is certainly lighter Chabrol, with a plot that inherently depends on his frequent theme of the ambiguous relationships between people and their capacities for deception, but generally chooses to concentrate on understated elegance: even when Huppert finds a man dead in the bathtub with a spike through his eye (a moment of genuine shock value even though you more or less know it's coming) the nastiness is quickly absorbed into sophisticated exchanges with the (rather cliched) gangsters. The ambiguity extends to the relationship between the two protagonists, which appears to be father-daughter although the movie often seems to be hinting otherwise - the long lingering final shot is probably the final tease in this respect. Serrault plays his character in an engagingly grumpy, short-fused manner, which contrasts pleasantly with Huppert's pure show of elegance. Even though the opening scam seems like a dress rehearsal for a more complex and challenging movie than we ever actually get, the thing glides by most enjoyably; no less so for the faint air of slumming.
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7/10
Huppert and Serrault is marvelous together in vintage Chabrol
ruby_fff13 June 1999
"Rien ne va plus" is literally 'Mere nothing no more' or 'Trifle never again'. The con game is the premise, the relationship is the anchor. Go in with no expectations and be an observer to Chabrol's "The Swindle". Sit back, relax and enjoy the pairing of Isabelle Huppert and Michel Serrault -- they look so comfortable together.

He's a pro, definitely knows his con "art" and scam skills. She's a quick learner, a smart protégée. The age difference does not matter. The real relationship? Why, let it be. They are at ease with each other. Papa and daughter, business partners, lovers, whatever the relationship, they understand each other, know each other's quirks and habits, and yes, complement each other's life. C'est si bon. C'est la vie.

Chabrol does not hit you over the head with what he's trying to convey, nor give us over the top violent actions or sequences. It's like a French cuisine meal well served, no hurriedness, with connoisseur wine accompanied. We're first introduced to how the pair works together, their con artistry in low-key fashion and not overly ambitious about the profit they reap. In fact, Victor (Serrault) is a decent man, he makes sure they do not clean out the target's wallet.

Victor is alert and protective. He lets Betty (Huppert) have free rein. "You know I love you and I can live without you," he said to her when she wants to take a break -- going away for a few days before the next project. Actually Betty is trying to do a "project" on her own -- perhaps to thank Victor for taking care of her and providing the opportunities for her steady flow of income. Perhaps she wants to see how good she can be -- without him by her side all the time. Perhaps she wants to know she can make it on her own -- and bring him income vs. the usual trifle way.

Somehow Betty needed Victor's help, and unexpectedly, the pair is no longer small time con artists -- it's big time, "the administration" is involved! She meant well. He knows. He appreciates. He's attached and tries to save both of them out of the mess. Victor is such an artist at this. As we follow the pair, we eventually can tell what Victor's moves and thinking could be. We guess with him. We're afraid for him, and her -- ah, he would have.but, he would not.. Yes, that's what he would do. But, would he? Would she?

It's vintage Chabrol indeed. I remember my first Chabrol film was "The Does" (Les Biches) 1968. I noticed Isabelle Huppert when she was in "The Lacemaker" 1977 followed by "Violette" 1978 (another Chabrol). Michel Serrault played opposite Emmanuelle Beart in "Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud" -- what a gem! These French films are all pretty much for mature audience consumption. You will be able to appreciate if you can take French pace in stride.
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6/10
Substandard Chabrol
JasonTomes20 February 2008
What a viewer makes of a film very much depends on the expectations that he or she brings to it. I had previously seen five other films directed by Claude Chabrol and considered all of them impressive. "Rien ne va plus" came as something of a disappointment. Though recognisably the work of the same director, it struck me as markedly inferior in terms of atmosphere and depth - which is not to say that it is a bad film by general standards. The quality of the acting is very high. Isabelle Huppert (Betty) is always extremely watchable, and Michel Serrault (Victor) is equally subtle. Their characters may not be the most credible of thieves, but the first part of the film, showing their practised hotel-based criminal double-act, is polished and amusing. After this, my enjoyment of the film steadily diminished. That none-too-original plot device, a briefcase full of banknotes, comes to the fore. (Criminal 'capers' have never much appealed to me.) When the action then moves to Guadeloupe, it turns into a run-of-the-mill gangster film (a genre that I like even less). I found myself waiting for the end - and, when it arrived, it might have come from Hollywood.

Viewers who do not view it with my preconceptions and aversions may certainly enjoy "Rien ne va plus". It is undoubtedly a well-made film. In future, though, when I recommend the works of Chabrol, while drawing attention to "Les biches", "Que le bete meure", and "Merci pour le chocolat", I may add the proviso: 'But I wouldn't bother with "Rien ne va plus". It's nothing very special in comparison'.
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7/10
Three Bland Mice
writers_reign29 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is Chabrol's take on the caper movie with Mamet-type twists and if you don't expect the earth to move it's pleasantly enjoyable. This is an Isabelle Huppert who is almost wholesome - fully wholesome when compared to the sleaze for which she seems to have a penchant - which means she's so good to look at that any acting she throws in - and that's plenty - is a bonus. She and Michel Serrault have a wonderful rapport and it's clear they enjoyed working together but Francois Cluzet is able to hold his own against the formidable duo for the middle third of the movie in which he appears. As someone has already pointed out this is primarily a fun movie and isn't trying to be profound or pretentious, just put a smile on your face from reel #1 and keep it there more or less throughout with the possible exception of a couple of minutes when Huppert discovers Cluzet wearing an arrow where it will do the most good. This is one that will probably stand a subsequent viewing after several years.
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6/10
Disappointing
Julian-330 March 1999
I expected a film with some class, and an interesting twist, as promised by the 5-line summary in the cinema brochure. What subtlety and twistiness of plot that there was did not, for some reason, seem to matter. The film seemed to be going through the motions.

The Swiss scenes in the latter half of the film are well shot, but for me, the most interesting moments all involved Isabelle Huppert doing something surprising with her hair.
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8/10
Chabrol, Huppert and Serrault concoct a sophisticated, amusing and satisfying con game
Terrell-431 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard not to like clever con games, even when they're violent (The Usual Suspects) or unpleasant (House of Games). They're just about irresistible when they're amusing and surprising (Nine Queens). That we're part of who is being conned is a major part of the pleasure.

Claude Chabrol's The Swindle (Rien ne va Plus) isn't especially violent (well, there's the matter of a spike in a man's eye, but he's dead when we see him), but The Swindle is definitely sophisticated, amusing and very clever. Two of the reasons it works so well and is so satisfying are the lead players, Isabelle Huppert as Betty and Michel Serrault as Victor.

Who are these two? Betty is in her forties, elegant, cool and smart. Victor is in his early seventies, shrewd and clever. They are small-time con artists who work the conventions and upscale gambling houses. Victor sets up the scams and Betty seduces the mark, but only to the point of slipping a mickey into a drink. When the mark passes out in his room, Betty lets Victor in and they take the money...but only enough to make the mark believe later that he may not actually have been robbed. Then off they drive in their big, fully equipped RV back to Paris. We observe all this, during the first third of the film, with growing delight in their humor, their logic and their professionalism. Are they lovers? Are they related...perhaps father and daughter? Are they old friends? Are they just affectionate partners? Because of the chemistry between the two characters and between Huppert and Serrault, we're never quite sure. "Betty, you know I love you, but I can live without you," Victor says at one point.

We instantly like these two, although we'd better be sure where our wallet is if we go out with them some evening. They know their limits and they're careful with their business. But then we notice that Betty may have a plan of her own. When the two meet at Sils Maria, near St. Tropez, to work a dentists' convention, Betty has already developed a relationship with a good-looking, self-assured man who, she tells Victor, is a courier who will be delivering $5 million Swiss francs. He could be the biggest con they've ever attempted...but Betty seems to be working both sides. Victor is showing signs of jealousy. And the man in question is actually a courier for the mob who is planning to leave France with all that money for himself, with Betty on his arm. Who is scamming whom? This three-way puzzle gets complicated.

Chabrol shows us all this with such cool, sophisticated humor that it becomes a great pleasure just to sit back and watch Victor and Betty -- and Chabrol, who also wrote the screenplay -- move the pieces around the board. Huppert and Serrault are such fine actors, and work so well together, that their relationship as Betty and Victor becomes a very satisfying and intriguing part of the story. Victor knows they are stepping out of their league, but he loves a challenge...and he has been good enough to get the better of anyone he considers stupid. We hope that will includes a vicious mob boss and his thugs. Still, as Victor says, "It's easy to swindle someone who thinks they have the upper hand."

The movie ends as it began, with a charming little scam, this time involving just Victor and Betty. May they have a long life together taking advantage of all those foolish marks.
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7/10
Marie Dubois
nicolas-ronchi4 May 2020
@ yvoncr Marie Dubois plays the bar tender when the pair has breakfast.
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5/10
Lightweight Chabrol film
rosscinema9 July 2003
Claude Chabrol is the master from the French New Wave who specialized in mysteries with sordid characters but aside from only a few hints of Chabrol's flare, this is a predictable "Swindle" film. Story is about an older conman named Victor (Michel Serrault) and a woman named Betty (Isabelle Huppert) who are clever but mainly smalltime thieves. We see Betty at a casino flirting with a businessman and when he's not looking she spikes his drink. They end up in his hotel room and he passes out. They steal some but not all of his money so that when he wakes up he won't be sure if he gambled it away or not. Then Betty decides to run a scam on a financial courier (Francois Cluzet) for a crime syndicate who is suppose to transfer 5 million Swiss francs but of course they plan the old "Switcharoo". After this happens the head of the syndicate named Monsieur K (Jean-Francois Balmer) escorts the two of them to his place and wants his money back! This is definitely not Chabrol's best effort but its not because its not well made, it is. But the material is so familiar that at times the film seems run of the mill. There are some nice touches like Victor always being mistaken at the hotel for an employee. The script does have you guessing about certain things like the relationship between Betty and Victor. Are they lovers? Is he her father? A few times during the film Betty calls him "Father" but it might be a pet name and they might also be tutor and student. And the caper itself is never clearly defined as we suspect that Victor had the whole thing planned ahead of time. Usually the characters in Chabrol's films are complicated and challenging for the viewer but thats not the case here. Its definitely a lightweight effort and while its mildly interesting mainly for watching another re-teaming of Chabrol and Huppert, its nowhere near Chabrol at his best.
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8/10
An interesting and restrained thriller
DennisLittrell21 December 2006
Although Betty (Isabelle Huppert, who was 43-years-old when the film was released) calls Victor (Michel Serrault, who was 69) "Papa" on occasion in this smooth and restrained thriller from Claude Chabrol, he is not her father by any means. The term is merely one of ironic affection. What they are are modern "gypsies" living on the fringes of society plying their ancient trade. Perhaps they were lovers in the past. Clearly they are a team, dependent upon one another. In particular what these small time con artists do is go to conventions, medical, dental, farm equipment salesman conventions, find a target and con the poor dupe out of some of his money.

Some. The film begins at a roulette table on the French Riviera with Betty stringing along a not entirely bright lawnmower salesman whom she invites for a drink. She slips some knockout drops into his drink and quickly invites him up to his room where, after he is out cold, Victor follows. They take some of his money. Victor insists on always playing it safe and using a rather strange but plausible psychology (which will figure later in the movie) of making the man think that perhaps he wasn't robbed, since if she had intended to rob him, would she have only taken part of the money out of his wallet? They do forge his signature on a check, but he will only find out about that later, and indeed might not be sure about how that happened.

So this is a small time con. Trouble begins for our vagabond thieves when Betty meets the CFO of a big corporation who is transferring five million Swiss francs in cash out of the country. She senses the chance for a big score, and after the mark falls in love with her (she thinks) she brings Victor into the scheme. With some tricky exchanges of the metal suitcase containing the money Betty and Victor end up over their heads in some very hot water.

The plot is a little on the unlikely side, as thriller plots tend to be, but the thing to keep in mind is the idea of taking only PART of the money. This is what fools the bad bad guys (as opposed to the good bad guys who are our vagabond duo, Betty and Victor).

Any movie starring the incomparable Isabelle Huppert (La Pianiste 2001; Merci pour le chocolat 2000; La dentelliere 1977, and many more ) is worth seeing and any movie directed by Claude Chabrol (Une affair de femmes 1988; Betty 1992; La ceremonie 1995, etc.) will have something of interest in it. Add a fine performance by Serrault, one of the great veterans of the French cinema, and "Rien ne va plus" is definitely worth seeing. However the role played by Huppert does not challenge her and Chabrol's more famous films (some of them also starring Huppert) are decidedly more interesting.

But see this for the lighthearted chemistry between Huppert who is sublimely fetching and Serrault who is clearly past the age of any pretension. Such a quasi-Platonic union based on the love that still warms the embers in a dying fire has become almost a staple of directors past their prime. See Claude Sautet's Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud (1995) which also featured Serrault for another example.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)
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6/10
Lies and deceit
BandSAboutMovies28 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Victor and Betty (Michel Serrault and Isabelle Huppert) have a great angle. They go to business conventions, Berry lures a man to her room and then slips him a knockout cocktail. Victor then appears and they take the cash they need.

Is there honor amongst thieves? Well, Victor lives by the rule that you should never be greedy and just take a small amount from each mark. Betty, however, wants bigger scams, so she joins up with Maurice (François Cluzet) and make a big switch that gets them all 5 million francs. But then Maurice turns up dead and the people who did it have Victor and Betty marked for their next victims.

Director and writer Claude Chabrol's fiftieth film, The Swindle even pulls a trick on audiences, never revealing if Victor and Betty are relatives, associates or lovers. You can watch the movie multiple times and draw your own conclusion and make your own story within the game that Chabrol has created.
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5/10
The title is apt as far as the second part is concerned.
dbdumonteil15 August 2001
This Chabrol's movie begins well with funny characters,Michel Serrault cast as a bogus colonel,Huppert,as a bogus femme fatale,and FRançois Cluzet as a security guard working for shady guys.The scenes in the ski resort and on the plane,with a witty dialog including money,of course,gastronomy ,army(Ah! our beautiful French Army! an old and distinguished lady tells the "colonel"),and even Dead Poet Society (watch out for the lines). Then ,half-way through,the movie loses steam,the pace becomes too slow ,the dialog ponderous.Jean-François Balmer (a great actor though) and his gang of baddies are not convincing,being too stereotyped compared to the three initial characters.At times,it would seem that Chabrol and his actors preferred to enjoy the sea sun and beach of the wonderful setting.Hence this disappointing second part where "rien ne va plus"(nothing works anymore),and with a very trite ending at that!Average.
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10/10
Charming and captivating tale of two lovable rogues that never fails to please
BebeJumeau18 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I have seen this film on several occasions and its wry, slightly surreal humour never fails to captivate. It survives multiple viewings. Each time that I see it, I notice (even in subtitling) more of the wonderful asides and throwaway lines in the dialogue, often by characters just passing out of the camera, that cover references to current affairs, history and even intertextual references to a wide range of other films. The film also hovers delicately on a tightrope between realism and wish fulfillment fantasy. It even treads delicately into a milieu that is more associated with the James Bond films, when the central couple tangle with a global Mr Big in the Carribbean, and again points to the fantasy elements in the Bond films and renders them even more fearie-like and magical. It also has a lightness of touch that is sometimes missing in modern French language cinema's earnestness and search for a non-conventional, bohemian, non bourgeois, non commercial positioning. The only time that it jolts out of its unified and deftly handled aesthetic is in the execution of the courier. The starkness of this scene indicates its non-Hollywood origins. Plotwise, Victor and Betty don't miss a beat despite this confronting warning. We all cheer when Victor with Betty still handcuffed to him is knocked out by the minders on the beach. There is of course a great final twist.

Whilst there are many affectionate cinematic tributes to conpeople with hearts of gold or lovable criminals, this is one of the very best. There is a great charm in this tale about two small time criminals with their somewhat principled crimes seeking to enter the big time. Rien Ne Vas Plus should be far better known to a general audience
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1/10
bad movie
ryano51214 February 2002
The only reason I watched this movie was because part of it took place at a hotel that I stayed at. However I was struggling to stay awake. This movie was advertised as being sophisticated and witty, but it was neither. Also the filming quality is awful, what should be white looks like tan. Throughout the movie there are attempts at sophisticated jokes and serious dialect, however the jokes seem tacky and the dialect is very poor. Overall I wouldn't even waste the time to watch this movie.
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8/10
identify actress Marie Dubois
yvonc18 January 2008
I have seen and recorded this movie by Claude Chabrol on the TV. I have been a fan of Chabrol's films for many many years. Let's say that the suspense master Claude Chabrol is the French equivalent to Alfred Hitchckok. The actors Serrault and Huppert are good but the one that I found particularly excellent is the head mafiosi who listens to the opera in the mafia Caribbean quarters. What a presence, what a good actor! It is also good to see a movie that is not saturated with special effects as films are done now, with excess. I hate those special effects because they are never perfect illusions, and they almost never fool me. Films are also always enhanced by the nice scenery they contain and "Rien ne va plus" is no exception. Actress Marie Dubois is in the film for a small role, but I have been unable to identify her. Can someone identify her for me, please? Thanks. YC
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5/10
I was swindled out of 100 minutes
=G=2 May 2002
"Swindle", now making the rounds on cable, is a comedy/light-drama subtitled French flick which tells of the activities of a pair of unlikely con-artists, a man/woman couple at opposite ends of middle age. The upside of this obviously contrived game of "whose got the money" is some pretty scenery and some almost funny tounge-in-cheek humor. The downside is just about everything else; fabricated, monotonous, superficially developed characters, inconsistencies, etc. A mildly interesting watch with some potential for Charbrol fans and other into French flicks.
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9/10
Another of Chabrol's minor masterpieces
Daniel-1072 August 1999
Has Chabrol ever made a film that's anything less than a minor masterpiece? Not that I've seen. Of course, here in the US we have to struggle to see them all, and I haven't. But movies like Les Cousins or Landru or Alice and now this one stay with me. His direction is so agile, so full of wit and surprise. This old master has all the youth and spontaneity of today's new-realists, plus the warmth of a lifetime of experience. I couldn't stop chuckling at his droll sleight-of-hand as he led us through the twists of his story -- and kept us in the dark about his two main characters' relationship. And he wrote it too!
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8/10
Not vintage Chabrol, but still an interesting and well made thriller!
The_Void6 February 2009
Claude Chabrol made some of the best thrillers of all time in the late sixties and early seventies, with such classics as La Rupture, This Man Must Die and Wedding in Blood under his belt. The Swindle is the most recent of all the Chabrol films that I've seen and while it has to be said that it doesn't capture the brilliant complexity of his earlier films; this is still an excellent exercise in suspense and trickery; well handled and bolstered by a very capable central cast. We focus on Elizabeth and Victor; a pair of scam artists. They pull off a successful scam and the female of the pair decides she needs some time on her own and they decide to meet up again after a ten day break. They meet up at a hotel during a dentist's convention; and Elizabeth has already found a mark named Maurice, who is transporting five million Swiss Francs on behalf of his company. The two make plans to steal the money under Maurice's nose...however, there may be more to the game than either of them realised.

This film has been described as 'lightweight Chabrol' and I'd agree with that as compared with his earlier films; there just isn't all that much to this one. However, there's still plenty about this film to enjoy. The main point of interest is the relationship between the two central characters. Chabrol never directly tells us exactly what this relationship is; her calling him 'papa' appearing to merely an affectionate term. The two central actresses are superb with the demure and attractive Isabelle Huppert acting well alongside the older Michel Serrault. The plot flows well and although it never really picks up; Chabrol keeps things going at a nice pace and always ensures that his audience wants to see what's coming next. The film is rather lightweight and enjoyable for the first hour or so and takes a darker turn towards the end; which does actually fit the film well despite the change in atmosphere. Overall, this is not vintage Chabrol by any means but it's a well made and entertaining thriller and I'm sure Chabrol fans will appreciate it.
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8/10
Super Huppert
brogmiller27 April 2020
A director whose output is as prolific as that of Claude Chabrol, beginning in 1958 with 'Le Beau Serge', is bound to have highs and lows. Likewise his professional relationship with Isabelle Huppert produced some great and not so great films. Here he has given us a well-scripted, well-made and hugely entertaining piece with Huppert at her most irresistible. She plays a con artist whose partner in crime is the superlative Michel Serrault. They are doing very well for themselves until her over-confidence causes them to start punching above their weight........ Huppert and Serrault are simply fabulous and play off each other beautifully. Such professionalism is becoming more and more rare. Francis Cluzot is effective as a man who pays a heavy price for being duped and there is a chilling performance by Jean-Francois Balmer as a psychopathic villain who loves Puccini and quotes Baudelaire. Obviously this film cannot begin to match those of Chabrol's golden period fom the late sixties, early seventies but that is quite frankly irrelevant. Bearing in mind this is from a writer/director not far off the age of seventy we must surely applaud and be grateful for his longevity and inventiveness.
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8/10
French Con Game POSSIBLE SPOILERS
gelman@attglobal.net29 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
As films about con artists go, this movie by Claude Chabrol is among the most interesting because it puts two minor leaguers (Isabelle Huppert and Michel Barrault) into a situation where they are plainly in the big leagues and over their heads. Huppert and the much older Barrault specialize in bilking not-quite-bright convention goers of relatively small amounts. The questionable element of their approach is that Barrault never takes the whole amount available. He leaves enough behind so the victim might not notice. That's an extremely doubtful assumption. However, when the con turns on five million Swiss francs and Barrault leaves 2.8 million behind, that's apparently enough to persuade the vicious men behind the transfer of funds that Huppert and Barrault should be allowed to live. Since their captors have already put a spike through the eye and into the brain of the guy who was planning to make off with the whole five million, it seems highly unlikely that they would give the minor league team a get-out-of-a-jam-free card. But that's the story, elevated by nicely manipulated suspense and excellent performances by Huppert and Barrault. The relationship between the two stars is mysterious and left uncertain. She calls him "Papa," but he is clearly not her father. If, as seems likely, they have been lovers as well as partners, Barrault seems curiously unaffected when Huppert takes time off to have an adventure, which includes setting up an intense love affair with the man intending to steal the five million. As a sucker for these kinds of films, I enjoyed it quite a bit despite the improbabilities. After all, "The Sting" wasn't quite likely either.
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8/10
thrilling
christopher-underwood17 June 2022
It is a really good film, even if I do not always love the idea of confidence tricks, but right at the start the wonderful Isabelle Huppert is even better than usual, if that is possible. It begins quickly and we can hardly imagine what is going with her changing her manner and her appearance. It is as thrilling as possible and Michel Serrault is fantastic, 69 years at the time with 25 more films still to do, and is just as clever as Huppert. The film slows down a little and at the time we are not sure what is going on, maybe even them as well, but then at the end it is wonderful and the moments of violence catch us by surprise. Great.
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If you adore Huppert, avoid this film
never11224 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I always adored Isabelle Huppert acting abilities but "Rien ne va plus" is one of those films you want to avoid watching. Plot is trivial and full of lengthy and absolutely empty conversations providing no entertainment whatsoever.

In my opinion, it would be much better to scare the viewer somewhere in the middle or pass 2/3 of a film but yet again we are presented with lousy and long scene of small time criminals versus sharks in business resulting in most unlikely outcome.

By that time I have lost interest in the film and did not finish watching it.
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