Love is the perfect crime - DVD

Film: When literature professor Marc (Mathieu Amalric) holds his lectures, then especially the female students hang on his lips. And Marc also knows how to exploit his effect on the young women. It's not unusual for him to take one of the attractive female students to his chalet in the mountains for private tutoring. Marc enjoys this life and all the comforts it offers him. But when one of the girls, with whom Marc had an affair, disappears without a trace, it is all over very quickly. Not only do the police keep showing up at the university asking questions about the missing Barbara, but the university administration makes it clear to Marc that his behavior will not be without consequences. When Barbara's beguiling stepmother Anna (Maïwenn) shows up and turns Marc's head, the otherwise level-headed professor threatens to lose control. Is this perhaps because he has something to do with the girl's disappearance?

Love is the Perfect Crime is the film adaptation of the novel The Restless by cult author Philippe Djian (Betty Blue). The director brothers Jean-Marie and Arnaud Larrieu (Painting or Loving) have based on the material an atmospheric thriller with a pinch of black comedy and a touch of mystery staged, in which quite particularly the excellent imagery stands out. Especially the contrast of the almost futuristic looking university building, for which the perfect motif was found with the technical university in Lausanne, and the rustic mountain landscape, captured in the Haute-Savoie (among other things near Chamonix and the commune of Demi-Quartier) has a truly mesmerizing effect.

Embedded in the engaging visuals is the strong acting of the cast, most notably Mathieu Amalric, who truly convincingly embodies the notorious womanizer with all his facets. But also Maïwenn (Poliezei) or Sara Forestier (The Name of the People) lift the film to a high acting level. However, this is contrasted by a not always captivating production, which gets lost too much in some moments and thus lets minor lengths arise, which are intensified by the very carried narrative tempo. True, the film's fundamentally captivating atmosphere is never completely lost. But in some moments it doesn't manage to unfold its full power and thus triumph over emerging boredom.

But even if there are a few hang-ups, it's still worth getting involved with both the story and the slow narrative pace. Because the more the events progress, the more Marc seems to lose touch with reality. And that makes the sometimes already somewhat cryptic production more and more interesting and gripping towards the end. While the whole thing could be a bit nastier in places, the bottom line is that Love is the Perfect Crime is a very good thriller that lovers of sophisticated French entertainment cinema should definitely not miss. Worth seeing!

Image + Sound: The image captures the intriguingly undercool mood of the film very well. The sharpness of the image is at a very high level and allows even smaller details to show up well. Colors are atmospheric and emphasize the film's engaging imagery. Overall, the sound is very restrained, but provides an atmospheric soundscape for a positive overall impression. Good!

Extras: Bonus features include an interesting interview with director brothers Jean-Marie & Arnaud Larrieu (approx. 12:51 min.), as well as conversations with Mathieu Amalric (approx. 17:17 min.) and Maïwenn (approx. 7:30 min.). There's also a short but watchable making of (approx. 9:07 min.), as well as the trailer for the film. Good!

Conclusion: Love is the Perfect Crime is a quiet, atmospheric film that uses intriguing imagery, great acting, and a dash of cynical humor to defy the very sustained pace of the production, making this a gripping mix of thriller and drama that lovers of sophisticated French entertainment cinema should definitely not miss. The DVD presents the film in atmospheric picture and sound quality and also has some nice extras on board. Recommendable

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp