Le Couperet (2005)
Directed by Costa-Gavras

Film Review

Costa-Gavras, renowned for an impressive series of political thriller-dramas in previous decades - Z (1969), L'Aveu (1970), État de siège (1972) - makes a rare excursion into black comedy with this inspired adaptation of a popular novel The Ax by American writer Donald E. Westlake (whose novel The Jugger had previously been adapted by Jean-Luc Godard as Made in U.S.A.).  It's a slick social satire with a razor sharp edge in which the murderous antics of a psychopathic family man take on a disturbing banality when set in the context of the harsh dog-eat-dog world of soulless, profit-obsessed corporations.

Easily Costa-Gavras's most enjoyable and socially relevant film for well over a decade, Le Couperet is every bit as compelling as Westlake's novel, skilfully combining Hitchcockian suspense, human interest drama and some great, side-splitting comedy.  The characters are well-drawn and well-played, the plot ingenious and satisfying, whilst the underlying social themes are apparent without being over-laboured.  It's meaty, thought-provoking and fun.  You'd expect nothing less of one of French cinema's most admired film directors.

The star of the film is José Garcia, a popular actor who is too readily associated with low-brow crowd-pulling comedies (Jet Set, People), even though his talents clearly out-class such mediocre fare.  In what is almost certainly his best screen performance to date, Garcia brings a dark intensity and realism to his portrayal that makes his character genuinely disturbing and yet also thoroughly likeable.  You want him to succeed so that he can win back his self-esteem and save his family - even if this means literally butchering his rivals.  What does this say about the kind of world we now live in, where in order to survive, we must literally exterminate the opposition?  What will you do - when the axe falls?  A spot of D.I.Y. head-hunting, perhaps? Le Couperet leaves us with much food for thought.

Film Synopsis

When dedicated company man Bruno Davert loses his job in a corporate reorganisation, he comes close to losing his self-respect and his family.  After two years of futile job-hunting, he hits on a brilliant scheme to win a senior post with another company.   By advertising a bogus job vacancy, he gets potential rivals in his field to send him their CVs - with personal details which enable him to find them - and kill them...