87. Rien ne va plus (The swindle)

My attraction to this film was twofold. First, it's written and directed by Claude Chabrol, a director I'm very much in the mood for at the moment (see below for my review of the taut, suspenseful La Cérémonie). Second, the title, Rien ne va plus, and its unappealing translation, The swindle, perfectly illustrate how poetic the French language is compared to English, and how the nuances of such a phrase are next-to-impossible to translate in a film title.

Isabelle Huppert, considered by many to be Chabrol's muse, stars as Betty, a small-time con artist who works alongside the much older Victor (Michel Serrault). Neither character is particularly likeable, and when François Cluzet joins the fray as shady businessman Maurice, two unsympathetic central characters become three. It's a classic case of 'who's conning who?' as the viewer is left wondering where Betty's loyalties lie, and a briefcase full of money is the focus of one double-cross after another.

I can take or leave most thrillers, and that was certainly the case here. The suspense was minimal, and with no one to root for, I didn't really engage with the film. Watchable, certainly – if for nothing but Huppert's constantly changing hairstyles – but far from Chabrol's best work. Next!

Rien ne va plus is available on Curzon on Demand for £4