Miséricorde

It wasn't until after I saw Misericorida that I looked up and found out that the director, Alain Guiraudie, also directed Stranger by the Lake. That was a very good film, principally since in many ways it had a much more compact theme and storyline than Misericorida.

What I found muddled about the film was the introduction of Félix Kysyl as the protagonist Jérémie Pastor. He comes back to town for the funeral of his old boss, yet it's never made clear when and why he and his family lived in the town and why they left. And then there is the whole gayness of what is - or isn't - going on. Some times it's subtle, some times very overt, especially towards the end. And here again, it is confuse about whether Jérémie is or isn't gay. Finally, there is the whole matter of Jérémie's intention - or not - to stay in town after the funeral. Yet, this of course is the underlying tension in the film. Along the way there are some eye rolling plot elements that you just have to look past.

With all that, the story moves along being alternately suspenseful, humorous and even sad. Kysyl is great as the lead. Then there is Catherine Frot as Martine, the grieving widow, and Jacques Develay as the village priest who both give great performances. And the scenery is specatular, making you want to go to France to be in the stunning countryside.

Overall, a good film that is not by the numbers yet also is not without its flaws.

French film industry is very profilic and rather effective in terms of such countryside dramas, taking place in remote villages. Nothing to do with the urban life. Good atmosphere, anyway far more intersting than the story itself, where you wonder where it drives to. Unusual character symphony, far from clichés. I won't say any harm about this film, it is a small film for which the director have perhaps worked during many years. It's worth the watch for those in search of petty French dramas, rapidly forgotten dramas. They have their peculiarity, their charm. We can't deny it, can we? Except Catherine Frot, I don't know the cast. But this movie delivers something disturbing, against moral and right thinking. Not for all audiences.

"Misericordia" is Latin for "mercy," and I gave the clever yet very narrowly contoured screenplay much of it. The performances were excellent, and the antagonist was easy enough to dislike, but there were too many unexplored backstories that needed to fold out; instead, the guesswork laid the story flat because most of the characters were thinly developed despite the available fodder for deep character studies.

The film is not without its philosophical musings on guilt and compassion for forgiveness, so Guiraudie had all the makings of a much greater film in hand.

I am fully aware that Misericordia was chosen for the best film of 2024 by Cahiers du cinéma and nominated for multiple César awards-but without this excellent cast ensemble and the outstanding cinematography, this film should have been a suspense short, not a feature.

Misericordia takes its time to shoot and when it starts shooting, there is no way you can contain your laughter till it crescendoes in the final shot. With very mild humour peppered across the film, it narrates the story of a taciturn man who visits a village to attend a mentor's funeral. There he meets his mentor's wife, his son, and a priest - who all seem to be saying something else from what they have in mind. What I love about Misericordia is how suddenly it shifts its writing to make the viewer laugh, all in a deadpan style. Reminded me of Deerskin (2019) and The Bra (2018).

(Watched at the 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)

Do yourself a favor and avoid this film.

This movie is perfect for teaching how not to make a film. It's the only worth it has.

Everything is poorly executed.

The storytelling is so bad... there's no story. The acting is lame beyond words. You never understand what characters feel, think or what their intentions are.

The main character is the most tasteless, bland person imaginable, who apparently, would sleep with anything that moves, no matter the gender, the age, the size or the religion (literally, he sleeps with a priest).

The movie has no ending, no closure and no point, of course.

I can't understand who on Earth would finance this movie.