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Color of Lies (1998)
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Synopsis: Forming a trio of new wave masters with Jean-Luc Goddard and Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol has created an oeuvre of sophisticated meditations on the French bourgeoisie, which continue to present compelling portraits concerning the ambiguity of human nature. THE COLOR OF LIES stars... Forming a trio of new wave masters with Jean-Luc Goddard and Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol has created an oeuvre of sophisticated meditations on the French bourgeoisie, which continue to present compelling portraits concerning the ambiguity of human nature. THE COLOR OF LIES stars Jacques Gamblin as Rene, a painter living with his wife, Viviane (Sandrine Bonnaire, THE DEATH INSTINCT) in a small Breton town; he supplements his income by giving art lessons to children. When one of his students is raped and murdered, Rene finds himself implicated, as he was the last person to have seen the girl alive. In typical small-town fashion, Rene is soon ostracized by the entire community, though his wife remains resolutely loyal. Despite her best intentions, however, Viviane finds herself tempted to indulge in an escapist affair with a media celebrity on vacation (Antoine de Caunes). Chabrol's contemplative pacing achieves a haunting melancholy that suggests a discrepancy between a characters actions and true motivations, creating a quiet thriller of unsettling depth that keeps the audience guessing throughout. [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Jacques Gamblin, Sandrine Bonnaire
DVD Info
Release:
May 7, 2005
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 16:9
Audio:
- (unspecified) - French
- Subtitles - English
Additional Release Material:
- Behind the Scenes
- Bonus Short - Presentation by Film Scholar Joel Magny
- Original Theatrical Trailer
Text/Photo Galleries:
- Photo Stills
News
More thoughtful than taut but a fine addition to the Chabrol canon.
It's a well-executed but not that exciting psychological thriller in Brittany.
You may be shocked at yourself for simply not caring who killed the little girl by the end, but that's the effect the movie will have.
Ultimately, these people have to mean something, their fears and doubts must register on a deeper consciousness. They don't. Not enough.


Top Critic