Parc (2008)

"Parc" is based on John Cheever's _Bullett Park_ which I have not read. "Parc" makes me want to track down this work by Cheever, whom I like. The film is quite different from Cheever...more like Chabrol or Hitchcock. Reminiscent of John Cheever's upper class Connecticut, the film's setting is an affluent gated community - probably in the south of France. We follow several different stories, out of sequence, which begin to overlap. It becomes impossible to tell if we are seeing reality or dream sequences. Some of the characters we meet are Sergi Lopez, an affluent member of the wealthy community; his rebellious adolescent son; his attractive wife; a mysterious newcomer who may or may not be a criminal; the newcomer's mother (Geraldine Chaplin) who is spending her elderly years in a fancy mental hospital. Just when you think you may know what is happening in "Parc," there's a cut to another time or place or a different character. Some viewers may find the film unsatisfying for this reason. However, if you like films about the rich and sinister; you should watch "Parc."