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Poulet Au Vinaigre (1984)

Poulet Au Vinaigre (1984)
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In a routine murder mystery based on a novel by Dominique Roulet, a cruel, wheelchair-bound invalid (Stephane Audran) who consistently terrorizes her teen son Louis (Lucas Belvaux) into abject obedience, is threatened with the loss of her home by a conniving trio who want her property as part of a deal for a lucrative development project. The three men are comprised of a butcher (Jean-Claude Bouillaud), a doctor (Jean Topart), and a notary (Michel Bouquet). Louis is a postal worker who is fending off the attentions of Henriette at the office (Pauline Lafont), and brings his mother all the mail scheduled for their trio of enemies, whereupon she steams it open and keeps herself informed about their plans. In retaliation for their attempts to seize his home, young Louis pours sugar into the butcher's gas tank which ultimately causes a fatal accident, and in fact, the doctor's wife has also died in a car accident. And now the notary's mistress is missing. Enter, at last, the imperious and heavy-handed Inspector Jean Lavardin (Jean Poiret) to finally go after the clues and the suspects until the case is solved. He succeeds admirably, and as a consequence, appears on his own in 1985's Inspector Lavardin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Jean PoiretStéphane Audran, (more)
Director(s):
Claude Chabrol
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Poulet Au Vinaigre

In a routine murder mystery based on a novel by Dominique Roulet, a cruel, wheelchair-bound invalid (Stephane Audran) who consistently terrorizes her teen son Louis (Lucas Belvaux) into abject obedience, is threatened with the loss of her home by a conniving trio who want her property as part of a deal for a lucrative development project. The three men are comprised of a butcher (Jean-Claude Bouillaud), a doctor (Jean Topart), and a notary (Michel Bouquet). Louis is a postal worker who is fending off the attentions of Henriette at the office (Pauline Lafont), and brings his mother all the mail scheduled for their trio of enemies, whereupon she steams it open and keeps herself informed about their plans. In retaliation for their attempts to seize his home, young Louis pours sugar into the butcher's gas tank which ultimately causes a fatal accident, and in fact, the doctor's wife has also died in a car accident. And now the notary's mistress is missing. Enter, at last, the imperious and heavy-handed Inspector Jean Lavardin (Jean Poiret) to finally go after the clues and the suspects until the case is solved. He succeeds admirably, and as a consequence, appears on his own in 1985's Inspector Lavardin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
100 mins

Complete Cast of Poulet Au Vinaigre


Director(s):
Claude Chabrol
Writer(s):
Dominique RouletClaude Chabrol
Producer(s):
Marin Karmitz
Categories:
Mystery & Suspense
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Member Reviews
 
James V.

Claude Chabrol's exquisitely nasty COP AU VIN (what a cleverly "translated" title) offers one of this director's very best explorations of the hypocritical French, small-town bourgeoisie, involved in everything from adultery & land swindles to murder. The detective on the case (a most interesting character who led to several sequels--until the actor died, apparently irreplaceable) probably cut his teeth during the French/Algerian War. His methods are shocking, hilarious and exceptionally productive. Everyone else on the scene ranges from feeble/ineffective to supremely wicked. If you don't catch the humor in this masterful director's approach, you'll probably wonder what's going on. For those of us who appreciate Chabrol at his close-to-best, this one is a gem. Note to buffs: Here's a very early role--nicely done, too--for Lucas Belvaux, the writer/director/actor of the recent "Trilogy." Watch the short DVD extra to learn some interesting history on Chabrol, the film & the "detective."

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Bryan C.

This is a great french film; I think it's not a normal plot for the french. They are more passive then us in the USA. The acting all around was very good.

Yes   |   No

 
LEANNE D.

It is difficult to like any of the amoral, degenerate French characters in this film. From their ungracious table etiquette to their immoral lifestyles, they represent ethical equivalence. The actors do a superb job of portraying this milieu, but whether you will want to watch it is another matter.

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