He is the only one to sign such a film, which mixes genres as much as atmospheres. Alain Guiraudie, the very inspired director of “L’Inconnu du lac” or “Stay vertical”, is back this Wednesday with “Miséricorde”, an unclassifiable feature film, which surprises from start to finish. Always very keen to situate these stories in his favorite South-West, the filmmaker this time immerses us with his characters in a small village in Aveyron adjoining a forest. This is where Jérémie (Félix Kysyl) arrives after a long absence, to bury his former boss, the local baker. A man he knew very closely, to the point of temporarily staying with his widow, Martine (Catherine Frot).
But the atmosphere in the village turns out to be very strange, and the welcome given to Jérémie, whether from a cantankerous neighbor or Martine’s very angry son, is not the warmest. A succession of walks in the forest in search of mushrooms and a mysterious disappearance will weigh down the atmosphere, and see the involvement of an extraordinary priest in the astonishing events which will ensue, highlighting the contrasting personality of Jeremiah…
Extremely unique, this true-false thriller evokes an American-style film noir which would be as much reminiscent of Claude Chabrol – minus the cynicism – as of Fritz Lang, with the touch of Guiraudie because the whole plot revolves around desire, as often with him. If we wonder, at the beginning of the story, where the filmmaker is going with this, the rush of dramatic or crazy events that follows leaves us speechless, as it turns out to be delicious, disturbing and funny at the same time.
Because the filmmaker has remarkably crafted his characters and, as a champion of casting, the choice of their performers. Catherine Frot amazes as an outspoken and secretly rebellious widow, Jean-Baptiste Durand (the director of “Scrapyard Dog”) thrills as he is constantly sanguine and unpleasant, and Jacques Develay astonishes in his composition of a priest very open, to say the least, has feelings and intimate relationships that are not very Catholic.
At the center of the story, the formidable Félix Kysyl, who lands his first truly major role, portrays with a nice element of mystery a funny “hero” who doesn’t really bother with moral dilemmas. A young man poisonous, like the mushrooms of this forest at the center of this curious and astonishing little theater of passion? It’s up to you to find out…
