The three films that Chabrol has made with a script by Caroline Eliacheff are some of the most soporific duds you'll ever see. La Cérémonie was pretty incoherent and dull, despite the splatter-fest at the end, Merci pour le chocolat wasted Isabelle Huppert's and Jacques Dutronc's considerable talents,and here is the latest--a mish-mash of incest, wartime collaboration scandals, and political satire (are municipal candidates really this cynical?). Chabrol still can't get away from savagely ripping into a bourgeoisie that gets feebler with every passing year.I watched Nathalie Baye closely; she never broke out of a tired cynicism displayed with pursed mouth--in other words, she phoned in her performance. Benoit Magimel and Mélanie Doutey were fresh and very appealing as the young lovers, and Bernard Le Coq showed me once more that he is one of France's best actors. Suzanne Flon as Tante Line provided all the touching moments in the picture.

Although not immediately likable, the film left an imprint. The director has combined french cinematography-descriptive shots and gradual development-with Hollywood tradition-blatant dialogue and excited drama. The use of dialogue was often unnecessary and the same goals could have been reached through more refined acting, ie. the discussion of schedules or chauffeurs. Although this detracted, the aunt's narration was at times profound -"life is perpetual"-and provided continuity in the story. This idea was also supported by the repetition of the stair shot, seen in the beginning and end. Other ingenious shots included the bouncing head of the father moving up the stairs and the splicing of old and new environments during the aunt's recollections. This is a worthwhile film; it has the momentum of a classic dramatic film with the introspectiveness of a novel.

Everybody has them in their closet. Most of us manage to hide them quite well. Those that run for public office are just asking for trouble these days especially.Just ask John Kerry or Sarah Palin. Ask about swift boats or trooper-gate. Those things come out in the wash. Even the local politicians have things like unpaid taxes and questionable associations that are brought to light.But, murder? is that unusual. Not really, as it came up in the Clinton campaign in the form of unproven accusations.Here, in a French film that most American audiences would not watch, we have actual murders being alleged. Also some fooling around being hinted at, and associations with Nazis (that was also used with Bush in reference to George's grandfather).The film is slow, but exciting. You are watch each character closely to see who is good and who is evil. But, it is not that easy, as those who appear very good, have some evil in their past.The acting was superb and the story was very good. The direction was excellent as the story flowed at the right pace and headed in the right direction.Worth your time if you like watching characters interact.

This is a 100% French movie possibly not ever intended for American viewers. However, being the francophile that I am, I dug up "Flower of Evil" at my local library and proceeded to view it with much anticipation. Nathalie Baye is one of my favorite French actresses.The story moves along a little slow but the mood of the film is enticing and it leads you to believe that something dark is lurking just beneath the surface. That dark stuff emerges later on in various subplots while the entire plot does thicken up a bit with good tension. I felt a bit let down when it came time for a climax but I wouldn't dismiss this film because of that, I really enjoyed the superb acting, fine character development, and otherwise gripping story, a characteristic of many French dramas. Maybe some of the subtlety was just lost on me, but I liked the fact that you're never sure who's good or bad, but you end up feeling for each character."La Fleur du Mal" is a film for serious film watchers and/or students of acting or drama, and not for mindless entertainment.