How far would you go for love, true love that is? Would you commit murder,
assist a murder or hide a murder? Monsieur Hire asks this question and,
in the process, uncovers aspects of character which are probably best left
hidden. The title character, M.Hire (Michel Blanc), is a quiet, tidy man who
runs a small tailoring business. He bothers no one and, in return, is persecuted
by his neighbours for his aloofness -- they bang on his door, throw flour over
him and whisper under their breath when he walks by. It's true that he seems
indifferent to this abuse but this doesn't explain why he endures it. In fact
the reason is simple -- Alice (Sandrine Bonnaire). Every night he returns home,
cooks a boiled egg, puts on the same piece of music and stands at his window,
staring across the alley and into Alice's apartment. She is a young woman and
the attraction seems obvious but, somehow, this is more than simple voyeurism.
Initially Alice is unaware of the observation. M.Hire watches her eat, dress,
sleep, read and make love to her fianc?Emile (Luc Thuillier). Every aspect of
her life is open to him and yet his expression never changes, everything just
washes over him - until one evening. A thunderstorm is fracturing the sky
overhead and, in a flash of lightning, Alice glimpses this ghostly face staring
at her. So does she call the police? No, instead of being afraid Alice is
curious enough to purposefully bump into M.Hire the next day, right outside his
apartment. From this point on there is a tacit agreement between them, a
relationship which runs parallel to that of Alice and Emile. In time, they grow
to understand themselves and appreciate why the other is attracted to them.
Perhaps, at this point, I should mention the sub-plot that acts as a
secondary theme to the relationship - a murder, of another young woman, has been
committed. As a short, well-dressed man was seen running from the scene M.Hire
is a prime suspect with the Police Inspector (Andre Wilms). To look at him he
doesn't appear much like the typical killer but then isn't that always the case?
Nevertheless the dominant theme is the interaction between Alice and M.Hire --
what does she really think about him, what does he think that she feels for him
and what do they really want from this arrangement? In breath-takingly subtle
moves the fine strands of their motivations are teased into the light, revealing
the fear and hope that underlies love.
Many films are subtle in the way they explore their characters, delicately
revealing individual layers of their psyche. However, Monsieur Hire is a
shining example of this technique - M.Hire and Alice hardly speak to each other,
rarely move and, at a glance, seem cold and indifferent. Instead communication
relies on vision and scent; he is almost translucent (both in body and spirit)
but as soon as Alice arrives there is a splash of colour, life and lingering
odour. The cinematography produces a perfect atmosphere -- shots focus on one
figure then slowly track to another angle, revealing an aspect which places new
spin on the scene - which acts to enhance the mood of hidden undercurrents.
Together with extremely fine acting, the result is an extraordinary and touching
movie of obsession, tragedy and devotion.
From
www.film.u-net.com
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