La Cérémonie

The great performances (especially the excellent Isabelle Huppert) and the chilling, shocking conclusion make this film a truly memorable affair. It is also a beautiful illustration of how easy it is for unstable individuals to fall into the trap of charismatic, yet psychologically disturbed people. (01/05/2005)

A somewhat academically coldly directed psychological drama about social and cultural differences that create an insurmountable barrier leading to a tragic resolution. The director subjected the inner struggles carried by his two main heroines to a detailed examination. Cynical, superficial, and somewhat antisocial postwoman Jeanne envies the wealthy business family for their wealth and social status, while illiterate Sophie, accepted into the family as a maid, feels her inability to read and write as a huge trauma and desperately tries to hide this weakness. The higher-class family may seem noble, but they never offer their servant a work contract with certain securities, and the fact that they have others serving them is taken for granted by the family members... in all stages of the story, an invisible social barrier between the employers and their servant is felt, which only the daughter, played by Virginie Ledoyen, tries to cross. The final crime is depicted in a small space, and the director does not give it much attention. The film is powerful due to the outstanding performances of Isabelle Huppert and Sandrine Bonnaire, who perfectly embody their characters. The film is a conflict between the plebeian and patrician worlds, which ends tragically in this story. Overall impression: 80%. (08/07/2008)