IRIS/ THE SHADOW OF IRIS

France, 2016, 98 minutes, Colour.
Romain Duris, Charlotte Le Bon, Jalil Lespert, Helene Barbry, Adel Benchenif, Camille Cottin.
Directed by Jalil Lespert.

This is a film of many ambiguities. While there is a direct narrative, there are quite a number of flashbacks, not necessarily in chronological order, something of a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces eventually coming together.

The film is based on a screenplay by Australian author, Andrew Bovel (Lantana, Book of Revelation, Placid).

The film seems to be about an abduction, a mechanic (Romain Duris) who has spent time in jail, married with a son, is involved in the abduction – which seems to be contrived by a young woman who wants to blackmail her husband. It is not nearly so clearcut. The woman’s husband is a prominent banker who calls in detectives to solve the case but agrees to hand over the money to Max.

There are further complications when Max discovers a dead body in the apartment, buries it at night, finds that the woman he thought he had buried is still alive, working at a sex club. In the meantime, the banker has discussions with the detectives, surfacing his wife’s dislike of his sadomasochistic tendencies. This leads to flashbacks about his going to the club, an experience of being whipped by a prostitute, and the truth about what actually happened in the apartment, the death of his wife, Max unwittingly burying her but digging her up again, Max once again abducting the woman but this time with her true identity, Claudia, as a worker in the sex club.

The film has one of those amoral endings, the banker being defeated, but Max and Claudia coming through the experience and taking possession of the ransom money.

The banker is played by Jalil Lespert who also directed the film.

1. The title? The real Iris? The impersonator? And the ambiguous shadow of Iris?

2. The Paris settings, wealthy apartments, the bank and the offices, restaurants, the city streets, garages, the visit to the sex club? Creating atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The opening, Antoine and his wife, their love, her waiting at the door, his paying the bill, the disappearance?

4. The structure of the film, the narrative in the present, the many flashbacks to the past, the gradual unravelling of the truth, the real Iris, the prostitute, her work in the club, sadomasochistic, the banker and his being a client, his relationship with the prostitute, the blackmail plan? The jigsaw effect, the completion of the puzzle?

5. Max, his working with Iris, the exchange of money, the abduction plan, tying her up, the photos, the phone call to Antoine, the demands? The contrast with Max, repairing his bike, the garage, his relationship with his wife, with his son, school pickup, the arguments, his irritations?

6. Antoine, the phone call during the board meeting, the information about the abduction, his telling his secretary, his calling and the police, his explanations? His behaviour, the money, waiting at the railway station, Max passing him by?

7. The investigators, their characters, their past, relationship, working together, suspicions, interrogations? Surveillance?

8. Max, at the apartment, the dead body, his burying it? The later discovery at the club? Putting up the body, and different Iris?

9. Max and his following the mysterious woman, going to the club, sex club, the clients, the women performing, his seeing the mysterious woman, Claudia? His abducting her, taking her to the apartment, the interrogation, the explanations? The flashbacks?

10. Antoine, the discussions with the detective, the confidentiality about sexual behaviour? His sadomasochism? His relationship with his wife, her being fastidious? Prostitutes? Going to the club? The scene of his being beaten by Claudia? The relationship? At the apartment, Iris coming in, her anger, the fight with Claudia? Her death? On the bed?

11. The explanation of the plan to use Max, to get rid of the body?

12. Max and Antoine, the episode on the metro, Antoine leaving the train? The new confrontation? Max wanting the money? Getting it from Antoine? Going back to the apartment, dividing the money with Claudia, the sexual encounter with her? Walking out?

13. The police, following Antoine, the body of his wife, his shooting himself?

14. The partial solution of the case? Claudia and her money? Max and his disappearing?