The Flower of Evil (2003)

Synopsis: Claude Chabrol's 50th feature, THE FLOWER OF EVIL, feels like familiar territory for this New Wave master. A cryptic opening scene, in which the camera floats through abandoned rooms of the family's picture-perfect Bordeaux chateau, sets the mood for a black comedy with murderous... Claude Chabrol's 50th feature, THE FLOWER OF EVIL, feels like familiar territory for this New Wave master. A cryptic opening scene, in which the camera floats through abandoned rooms of the family's picture-perfect Bordeaux chateau, sets the mood for a black comedy with murderous underpinnings swathed in bittersweet bourgeois bliss. Francois (Benoit Magimel), the handsome young son, returns home from a 3-year stay in Chicago, and quickly rekindles a fiery romance with his cousin, Michele (Melanie Doutey). Meanwhile, his mother Anne (Natalie Baye) is running for public office, and has stirred up more than a bit of controversy. When a slanderous letter appears in the newspaper revealing family indiscretions--incest, adultery, murder, and even war crimes--the entire family remains firmly in denial of any wrongdoing. The dead giveaway is sweet, elderly Aunt Line (Suzanne Flon) whose mischievous smile pegs her as the omniscient keeper of family secrets. This movie screened in October 2003 as part of the 41st New York Film Festival organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. [More]