There is a murder in a stormy night and a man (Gérard Depardieu) wandering without any protection from the heavy rain is arrested by the police with no documents. In the police station, he claims that he has a meeting with the Ministry of Culture on the next morning but he needs to wait for the Inspector (Roman Polanski). When he arrives, the man is arrogant and tells that he is the famous and reclusive writer Onoff. The Inspector is his fan and quotes many books written by him. When the Inspector interrogates Onoff, he is not able to recall his last four hours. Along the rainy night, the Inspector insists in interrogating Onoff since there was a murder nearby his house and the victim can not be identified. Who might be the victim and the killer?
"Una pura formalità" is an intriguing and theatrical film that is developed basically in one location. The screenplay and dialogues keeps the viewer curious about who killed who. Gérard Depardieu and Roman Polanski have top-notch performances and their duel is worthwhile watching. Unfortunately this film has only been released on VHS in Brazil. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Uma Simples Formalidade" ("A Simple Formality")
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