Le Couperet (2005)
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Duration: 122 minuten
Alternative title: The Ax
Country:
Belgium / France / Spain
Directed by: Costa-Gavras
Stars: José Garcia, Karin Viard and Olivier Gourmet
IMDb score:
7,3 (9.204)
Releasedate: 2 March 2005
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Le Couperet plot
Bruno D. is an important executive in a paper mill. After 15 years of loyal service, he and about a hundred colleagues are scrapped. The reason: an economic realignment or relocation. With his experience and his relatively young age (40 years), Bruno is convinced that he will find a new, equivalent job in no time. But three years later, Bruno is still unemployed. Bruno realizes that he is involuntarily participating in a war of attrition. A kind of war in which, as a regular soldier, he has a single 'mission': he must save himself and his family so as not to lose their comfortable life.
Actors and actresses
Bruno Davert
Marlène Davert
Maxime Davert
Betty Davert
Hutchinson
Machefer
Etienne Barnet
L'inspecteur Kesler
Iris Thompson
Préposée de la Poste
Reviews & comments
Movsin
-
- 8331 messages
- 8448 votes
Brilliant satire. The original, strong and unsettling story is just the background to underline the many dramatic consequences of layoffs and to satirize the tough corporate attitude. The fact that the whole thing is interspersed with many humorous moments only makes it more fascinating and bearable. The dialogues are extremely witty, often prickly, often flatly comical, the actors astonishingly good.
In my opinion, the final scene suggests the enduring ruthlessness of our society.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Robi
-
- 2564 messages
- 2549 votes
Special story of someone who found a special way to look for work. Well acted too. But the movie is just a bit too long. Or will Costa Gavras have thought that a film is only taken seriously if it lasts at least two hours?
Translated from Dutch · View original
BBarbie
-
- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
I have long been a fan of Costa-Gavras' films because of the sharp depiction of social and political conflict in those films. I have the impression that with his latest works (Le Couperet, Eden à l'Ouest) Costa-Gavras is somewhat losing his delicate feeling for this.
Certainly, Le Couperet is a beautiful film, but it does not reach the level of, for example, ”Z' (1969), L'Aveu ( 1970) or Missing (1982). The film has more than enough exciting moments, but just as many times it also sinks a bit. Le Couperet seems to me to be too much of two thoughts: a social drama or a thriller. The relationship between Bruno (José Garcia) and his wife Marlène (Karin Viard) also remains too superficial. And the length of the string of unsolved murders doesn't add to the credibility of the story.
Not a bad film, far from it, but I'm used to better from Gosta-Gavras.
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