Poker (1988)
Directed by Catherine Corsini

Film Review

For her first full-length film, director Catherine Corsini made a spirited attempt to combine film noir and psychological drama, drawing inspiration from contemporary American thrillers.  Her innovation was to place a strong yet vulnerable young woman in a setting which traditionally had been the reserve of tough men - most of her subsequent films would revolve around a strong central female character. Poker disappoints on a number of counts, its main letdown being a plot that is too contrived and mechanical to take seriously. The characterisation is lamentably weak, and even though film noir is known for its flagrant archetypes you do expect the characters to have some semblance of individuality and that their motives will become apparent to us. The characters (even the charismatic lead admirably portrayed by Caroline Cellier) behave in a way that is hard to fathom and consequently struggle to retain our interest as they merely undertake what the narrative requires of them like mindless automata.

Although the film was a commercial failure, Catherine Corsini subsequently went on to make some respectable television films in the 1990s before returning to cinema, with somewhat greater success, in the following decade, with films that include La Nouvelle Ève (1999), La Répétition (2001) and Partir (2009).

Film Synopsis

Hélène is a Paris tourist guide who is addicted to gambling.  One day, she loses fifty thousand francs in one session whilst playing poker with a gangster named Tonio.  He gives her just twenty-four hours to clear the debt.  Knowing full well what she risks if she fails to meet the deadline, Hélène is ready to do anything to raise the money.  Miraculously, it is her brother who comes to her rescue when he shows up at her apartment unexpectedly with a bag of stolen banknotes.  Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Hélène steals the money and hands it over to Tonio.  It is only after she has done this that she realises the notes are forged.  Unluckily for her, Tonio is not the forgiving type...