'Love is the Perfect Crime' ('L'amour est un crime parfait' in French) is one of the most formidable movie titles I can remember. A title that promises a combination of thriller and love story, which is indeed part of what the 2013 film directed by brothers Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu proposes. The presence in the main role of Mathieu Amalric, one of my favorite French actors, heightened my curiosity to see this film. Of the many promises, only a part were justified.
Switzerland at the end of winter is the setting for the film. The snow-covered mountains represent since Hitchcock a scenery for films in the psychological thriller genre, with sunshine illuminating postcards landscapes behind which we can feel the threat, with snow covering tracks, traces and sometimes bodies, at least until the thaw. We deal with a plot in which part of the truth is hidden from viewers, which is a rule in most detective movies, but in this case the truth is hidden also to the heroes on the screen. Ambiguity is what characterizes their characters and feelings in this film. We are dealing with a criminal investigation (a student has disappeared and her teacher, a man with a fame of conqueror is one of the suspects) and with a late love story, but the reality behind the appearances is questionable to the very end.
What I liked: The role of Marc, the teacher of literary creation around which orbit the female students, but who is secretly haunted by his own traumas is perfect for Mathieu Amalric, who dominates the screen and the story with his feelings and dilemmas. The film is made 2-3 years before the 'me too' scandals broke out and the role would probably have been written differently if the film had been made now. The atmosphere of the Swiss university intellectual circles with their professional and romantic intrigues is very well rendered. The image is stylish and consistent. What I liked least: There are three women characters around Marc and the actresses' creations are uneven. If the interpreters of Marianne (Marc's sister - Karin Viard) and Annie (the student trying to lure Marc into a love affair - Sara Forestier) are neutral, Anna's key character is missed by Maïwenn's interpretation. The script suffers from a certain verbosity that makes the film seem long and repetitive from time to time. The ambiguity of the approach ultimately turns against the intentions of the filmmakers, and many viewers will already have been lost interest in the denouement by the end of the movie. Yet another proof that the performance of one single actor, no matter how good he may be, cannot sustain alone an entire movie.
