Love Crime.

Sadly the last film directed by Alain Corneau was released in France the same week he died from cancer. Love Crime (2010) is the story of a worm that turned and her quasi-sexual relationship with her female boss.

Isabelle is a hard working junior executive always trying to impress her superior Christine, who is the head of an international corporation with main offices in New York. She unashamedly takes advantage of Isabelle and claims her work as her own. When Christine sends Isabelle to negotiate a deal in Cairo her junior falls in love with Christine’s lover Philippe. On there return things start to change with Christine getting more and more jealous of her young employee.

Although the critics do not generally agree I found the movie a pleasurable evenings entertainment with its sexual undercurrent playing an important part in the story. It actually borders on black comedy rather than a fully-fledged psychological suspense thriller and the narrative is at times a little obvious but that makes it none the less enjoyable. The film features the talents of Ludivine Sagnier as Isabelle Guerin previously seen in three François Ozon films including Swimming Pool (2003) as well as A secret (2007), Mesrine (2008) and The Devils Double (2011).  Kristin Scott Thomas is marvellous as usual as the power hungry Christine.

 

Ludivine Sagnier.

Kristin Scott Thomas.

Believe it or not Corneau’s film has already been remade as Passion (2012), directed by Brian De Palma and staring Rachel McAdam (To the Wonder 2013) and Noomi Rapace (Baby Call 2011).