La Confiance règne (2004)
Directed by Étienne Chatiliez

Film Review

With his fifth film, Étienne Chatiliez revisits the rich-poor divide which was the subject of his successful debut feature, La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille (1988).  Unfortunately, on this occasion Chatiliez goes too far in the direction of caricature and seems to have difficulty stretching what, on paper, must have seemed like an amusing concept to fill the space of a full length film.

La Confiance règne fails on several counts.  Even if you make allowance for its extreme vulgarity (any film that resorts to fart jokes for laughs is unlikely to go down well) and crass characterisation of the kind you would find in a children's comic, it is hard to forgive its repetitious and poorly constructed narrative, which bounces about like a hyperactive kangaroo on steroids.  Cécile De France is about the only thing going for this film, and the fact that she is unrecognisable testifies to her extraordinary talent as an actress, even if she is completely wasted in this misfired venture.

Film Synopsis

Christophe Gérard and Chrystèle Burrel are two of a kind.  Uneducated and lacking even the smallest particle of moral awareness, each has made a habit of fleecing the trusting fools who employ them as domestic servants.   After their chance meeting and the inevitable frolic in a hotel bedroom that follows, they decide to work together, passing themselves off as a married couple.  Their next employers, a well-heeled retired couple, prove to be a veritable gold mine, and Christophe and his partner are soon on the run again with their ill-gotten gains.  It would seem that Christophe and Chrystèle make an unbeatable combination, but for how long will their luck hold out...?