|
Upcoming Release Calendar
38
12 Rounds Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
67
$9.99 Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
|
Comedy of Power
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
|
||||||||||||
MPAA RATING: Not Rated
Starring Isabelle Huppert, François Berléand, Patrick Bruel, Marilyne Canto, Robin Renucci, Thomas Chabrol, Jean-François Balmer, and Pierre Vernier
The latest work from France's master of suspense, Comedy of Power probes France's unspoken laws of class and power as an unstoppable woman embarks upon a trail to uncover a vast web of deceit and treachery. (IFC)
| GENRE(S): | Comedy | Drama | Foreign | Suspense/Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY: |
Odile Barski
Claude Chabrol |
| DIRECTED BY: | Claude Chabrol |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: May 8, 2007 Theatrical: January 5, 2007 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 110 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | France |
| LANGUAGE(S): | French (with English subtitles) |
Original title "L'Ivresse du Pouvoir"; Nominated, Golden Berlin Bear, 2006 Berlin International Film Festival
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Chad S. gave it a6:
"Comedy of Power" starts to lose some of its juice after Judge Charmant's witchhunt of high-powered, amoral CEO-types goes beyond Humeau(Francois Berleand), who is a much better-defined character than the other movers and shakers the judge interviews. Charmant's personal life is more interesting than her embattlement with the cabal of allegedly corrupt businessmen. To see the judge's imperfect marriage makes her a sympathetic protagonist because she's not the traditional crusader against injustice we're accustomed to seeing in American films. Charmant(Isabelle Huppert) lambasts Humeau for his money-burning ways; she cites how the average French person only makes minimum wage, and yet the judge is hardly proletariat herself(there is a consciousness of class-distinction in the way Charmant treats an office cleaner; the judge is part of the bourgeoise). To know the true nature of a person, notice how they treat the little people. She is a careerist. Office-size matters to her as much as getting the bad guys. Exactly what the bad guys are doing could've been better clarified by the filmmaker(there's no narrative arc to the investigation), because this lack of definition gives the audience very little to be angry at. "Comedy of Power" is actually about how it's hard for a successful woman to juggle a career and a personal life.
Robert C. gave it a9:
Isabelle Huppert is a flawed supranatural moral force in Comedy of Power. An ironicallly satisfying performance.
Enrique gave it a9:
Chabrol directs this cruel satire with a strong dettachment, making it pure acid. Certainly not for everyone. Huppert delivers a wonderful , unforgetable performance. Too bad that this movie will never get Oscar attention.

| Return to top of page |

Popular on CBS sites: iPhone 3G | Fantasy Football | Moneywatch | Antivirus Software | Recipes | E3 2009
About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use