L'HEURE ZERO (TOWARDS ZERO)
France, 2007, 107 minutes, Colour.
Francois Morel, Danielle Darrieux, Melville Poupaud, Laura Smit, Chiara Mastroianni, Alessandra Martines, Clement Thomas, Xavier Thiam.
Directed by Pasquale Thomas.
There is a long history of films from Agatha Christie mysteries. The Internet Movie Database has 109 entries under her name with the first film being made in 1928 (and that does not count the 60 episodes of the Poirot series with David Suchet).
Here is a French adaptation with the action and characters transferred to Brittany. Even though set in the present, it retains something of the old world Agatha Christie atmosphere. It opens with some speculation about blind justice and the thoughts of a judge about murder and how the murder is the end of a process. It then moves to a mansion on the Breton coast, introduces a range of disparate characters, a number of whom dislike each other intensely, has a dinner where all are present and, soon after, as might be expected there is a murder.
An eccentric police officer on holidays is asked to look into the case. Arrests are made and then the arrested are released. As always with Agatha Christie, she does her best to draw attention away from the guilty by all kinds of tricks (and there are a few here) until everyone is gathered for the final revelation.
It is amazing how this still works eighty years after the first Christie film adaptation.
What is interesting here is the French cast. Danielle Darrieux (who made her first film in 1931) was 89 when she made this. Upcoming star Melvil Poupard is the heir apparent and Laura Smet is his unbearably moody wife contrasting with Chiara Mastroianni as his dignified first wife. There are some comic French servants. But Francois Morel holds his own as the detective.
Nothing new, but it is a pleasure to watch a serious but light version of Agatha Christie.
1.The popularity of Agatha Christie? The French interpretation of her characters, mystery? French locations?
2.The French locations, Brittany and the coast? The hotel, the cliffs, the beach? The musical score?
3.The title, the statue of Justice being covered? Trevoz and his talk, everybody listening, the police, his notions of murder, the circumstances, the victim? Trevoz and his explanations, sitting by the fire, saying how he would begin writing a murder mystery?
4.The basics of an Agatha Christie story: a group, the introduction to each of the characters, deflecting attention of the audience, supplying clues, all the possibilities, the group gathered together for the explanation?
5.The detective, his listening to Trevoz, his arrival, the background of his daughter, her confessing when she was not guilty, the clues, visiting his nephew, the holidays and his dress, his hat, idiosyncrasies, the quality of his investigation, his comments, the other police, his questioning of the various characters, the arrests, the witness, his gathering everybody on the boat for the denouement, pushing Fred overboard, his explanation, his personality?
6.The group, the situation at the mansion, Camille and her age, her will? Guillaume and his presence, relationship with Camille, his two wives being present, playing tennis, his idea that they should come, a gracious loser, pleasant, charm? His wife and her obnoxious behaviour, tantrums? Fred Latimer, her friend, the gigolo? The contrast with Aude, her dignity, being quiet? Thomas and his return? Marie -Adeline and her care for Camille, her relationship with the other guests? The place of the servants? The targeting of the victim? Motivation?
7.The mansion, the affluent lifestyle, tennis courts, swimming, bird-watching, the meals, playing billiards at the hotel …?
8.The argument, Camille clashing with Guillaume, the attendant drugged, the maid finding the body, the screams, the immediate response?
9.Camille, the grande dame, her attitude towards others, disapproval of Jenny, her friendship with Trevoz, her comment on his drinking, her own drug-taking, her principles, the clash with Guillaume? Close to Trevoz in death?
10.Guillaume, nice, Aude, the divorce, his marrying Jenny, her tantrums, his losing the tennis, his generally pleasant demeanour, the argument with Camille, the evidence against him with the golf club, the bloodstained jacket, his being arrested, the drugged assistant testifying that he had left the house? With each of the characters, with Fred? On the boat, the revelation of the truth, his insane demeanour?
11.Caroline, her age, dominance, moods, tantrums, her hostility towards Aude? Her friendship with Fred? Possessive, the will, wanting the money, her uncouth manners at table, her being drugged, the end and her going off with Fred?
12.Fred, the companion, the gigolo and his activities at the hotel, his inability to swim, his playing billiards with Guillaume, his attitude towards the family?
13.Aude, her dignity, a strong woman, her marriage to Guillaume, the divorce? Her friendship with Thomas? The irony of the truth, her affair, Guillaume divorcing her, her being forced to come to the house, her feeling under pressure from Guillaume, her admitting that she had done the murder, the policeman seeing the same attitude as in his daughter, his wanting to protect her, the end, her inheritance?
14.Marie -Adeline, her work, at home in the house, with Camille, with each of the guests, her place in the house yet her being a paid servant? With Thomas, the plan to leave?
15.Thomas, his brother’s death, his being in Vietnam, his return to the house?
16.The opening suicide attempt, the lovers on the cliff, the man leaping, not dying, in hospital, the nurse telling him that one day he would help someone? His story, the witness, his saving Aude? The irony that it was a rainy night when his testimony depended on moonlight?
17.The servants, Emma and her behaviour, hysterical, comic? Heurtebise and the comic touches? Barrette and her service of Camille?
18.The policeman’s daughter, the accusations of stealing, the headmistress, his arrival, his knowing that she was not telling the truth, that she was innocent? The end and the arrival for the holiday?
19.An Agatha Christie-style murder, the characters, the satisfaction in the solution?
