L'argent des autres

Other People's Money is evidence that as a species, we evolve slowly and basically solve the same problems as the ancient Romans or Greeks did. This means that our greed and pettiness have definitely not changed for the better. The ability of bank managers to find loopholes in the system to exploit small savers is undoubtedly not an invention of the 21st century or the Czech path of privatization of the national economy. Mechanisms of a social system based on the accumulation of wealth work universally. However, in Western society, they have to pay more attention to public opinion. One of the most prominent French actors of the second half of the 20th century, Jean-Louis Trintignant, practically never steps out of the frame and is a reliable pillar of support for the film. It is also a pleasure to watch his co-star Serrault in the role of a banker who doesn't want to lose at any cost. I find it interesting that Serrault is primarily perceived as a comedian, even though his ambiguous or outright negative roles in dramas seem much more significant to me. The film cannot be denied its impact and atmosphere in certain passages - among all, I would choose the scenes from the personnel agency, which with its psychological pressure can corner job applicants and rob them of their dignity. Unfortunately, the strong moments are balanced out negatively by scenes that I perceive as naive and lacking a sense of reality. For example, the part when a group of top managers cannot figure out what to do with an employee who locked himself in the archive and personally try to talk him out of his actions all night. Catherine Deneuve, unlike many professional models trying their luck in the world of cinema, is not awkward in her acting, but I don't feel that she serves the film as anything more than a charming decoration. Overall impression: 65%. (27/03/2016)