Review by Doug Cooper
Stars Dominique Thomas, Lola Creton, Daphne Baiwar, Marilou Lopes-Benites, Lola Giovannetti, Farida Khelfa, Isabelle Lapouge,Suzanne Foulquier, Laure Lapeyre, Luc Bailly
Written by Catherine Breillat
Certification UK 15 | US R
Runtime 80 minutes
Directed by Catherine Breillat
Breillat's new version of the hoary old fairy tale is an anaemic bore, devoid of tension, mystery, interest and drama. It's only 80 minutes in length but seems much longer, and I was almost asleep by the end of it, desperately craving sustenance after the screening I attended to wake me up. It has a structure though – two little girls read the story to each other and we then see it being enacted. It focuses on Bluebeard's last wife, a shy virginal girl who was able to avoid being murdered by him, partly because he couldn't make up his mind about her.
The hesitation the character bestows pervades this subtitled costume drama. The performances are inert. completely lacking flair, energy and personality, with lengthy pauses between the portentous dialogue. It's padded with pretension – a chicken is slaughtered, there are repetitious shots of characters going up stairwells. It really is a snoozefest beyond measure. There's no danger, no suspense and no charm. Its a dour, deadening enterprise that you really shouldn't waste your time with. Painful.