After the delights of Nine Bachelors (1939-also reviewed) I decided to continue my run of film maker Sacha Guitry's work. Surprised to discover that unlike the other titles in my Guitry viewings that there was hardly any info around on the movie,I got set to find out what happened to Walter's wife.
View on the film:
Introducing the players with a opening which goes behind the scenes, (a regular recurring opening in his credits) lead actor/writer/directing auteur Sacha Guitry is joined by cinematographer Noel Ramettre in building a halfway house between his love of stage,and his growing embrace of cinema,
Guitry lays out this one-set Chamber Piece being shot partiality in long takes with a static camera, and peppers it with slick tilts close up to Walter in the middle of exchanges in order to break the 4th wall and speak direct to the audience, which bounces to smooth panning shots to the shocked reaction of his returning wife.
Performing large parts of the film in long one-takes,the cast give excellent turns, with Marguerite Pierry setting sparks flying across the screen as the hilariously frozen in shock as Jeanne,whilst Pauline Carton steals every scene she is in as the dead pan put upon maid Angele.
Eyeing Walter being relaxed about his wife having died years ago, the screenplay by Sacha Guitry brings out his signature The Guitry Touch with rapid-fire, intelligently composed exchanges between Walter and his unexpectedly alive wife,which sets off a cracking battle of the sexes in the fiery exchanges within this crumbling macabre marriage, (both major recurring themes in Guitry's works) as Jeannie forces Walter to reveal in very funny one-liners,how long he mourned for her.
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