La Femme Infidele Reviews

[Highly rated reviewer]

boring

It's slow, nothing happens and then there is a murder and then ... nothing again.

A Class Act of Murder

The slowest of slow-burning thrillers - more of a study in character than a straightforward thriller. The subtleties of performance and the lack of external emotion in these characters' lives makes it feel more English than French. Respectable middle class Parisian, Michel Bouquet suspects his wife, Stephane Audran, of having an affair and eventually has his suspicions proven. So far, so French; however, the nuances of restricted emotion and the lack of visible passion make this a film where the real emotion and character motivation are all under the surface. Feels a bit like Brief Encounter with just a splash of blood. The longeurs are occasionally a little too long but the film holds the attention for most of its 94 minutes. You do want to know how it all turns out.

subtle masterpiece

This is Chabrol at his mesmerising best, playfully taking the hypocrisies of middleclass family life to extremes. Contented husband suspects wife of having an affair and hires a sleuth, who confirms his suspicions. He then confronts the lover and has a seemingly civilised conversation with him before murdering him with an ornament and disposing of his body, which involves cleaning up meticulously, a car crash which jams the boot with the body in it, and a rather shallow river. The police, searching for the missing lover, find the wife's address in her lover's address book ... and the wife finds a picture of her lover in her husband's jacket pocket...

Absolutely stunning performances from Stephane Audran and Michel Bouquet ensure that you are gripped from the first moment. So much is implied rather than said as they continue the charade of family life in the most beautiful country house near Versailles. Watch and enjoy!

Staggering film by French master

Wonderful film, which will keep you on the edge of the sofa. A period piece, taut with suspense, brilliantly acted, economical in its means and extremely moving.

[Highly rated reviewer]

drama

I am still not quite sure what exactly went on in this one, but it is classic Chabrol in his psychological element. The music is great, if you like Red or Starless and Bible Black or Janacek this could be fun. Conservatively modern film.

[Highly rated reviewer]

'La Femme Infidele' (1968)

Just a superb, well acted, good subject matter and passionate film. If you want American in-substantial, violent, sexually depraved, deformed morally bankrupt candy flossed nonsense-this is not the film for you. This film is essentially about an affair, presumably set in Paris, with husband who's wife is having a bit on the side, things seem to be going quite well in and outside the home, except her husband is certain she has a lover and gets very concerned about it....... Good script, actors, filming and storytelling of what makes people tick, as only the French can do, mind you they still have got a society; basically, you could not put an american actor successfully in a French film, because the actors are too banal, shallow, and given to looking why they are on the film set, for money and certainly not for the art.

Customer Review

A relatively simple story is elevated to a compelling drama by excellent, sensitive acting by the main players.

Customer Review

Classic Chabrol ingredients: cinematography and evocation of place, emotional veracity of relationships between characters, seemingly effortless charisma of the cast. The expert twists of plot that you find in his very best films - eg Juste Avant La Nuit, Que La Bete Meure - and that serve to expose the hidden truths of the characters' natures, are not however present here; the story is instead relatively simple and linear. More a psychological study then than a psychological thriller.

[Highly rated reviewer]

yes!

Superb story, that happens so often in life, for both sexes.

Great story and tension..........Mlle Audran beautiful.

la femme infidele

Made in 1968, for some weird reason this film is now presented in wide screen format,which is achieved by stretching the frame sideways. As a result the characters all appear as squat little figures with round faces in a distorted background. This so ugly I switched off after 10 minutes.