Feux rouges

English title: Red Lights
Genre: thriller
Director: Cédric Kahn
Release: 2004
Studio: France 3 Cinéma, Centre National du Cinéma, Banque Populaire Images 4, Cofimages, Alicéleo, Gimages, Gimages 6, Wellspring Media
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.3/10


I’m Always Nervous When You Drive


On this last day before the summer holidays, pandemonium has spread throughout Paris but Antoine (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), an insurance man, savours the moment with contrasting serenity. This year, he has set himself up to enjoy his precious time off and, as he emails his wife Hélène (Carole Bouquet) before leaving the office, his mood is almost poetic. ‘I feel like a man in love going on his first date, he writes to his better half, and I’m happy we’ll join the children and visit your parents.’ Sounds like a great vacation… but don’t bet on it. Merely three hours later, as Antoine takes to the road with his belle Hélène, he seems aggravated, even impatient, and the couple’s carefree drive down south turns into a battle of wills. With Carline Paul, Jean-Pierre Gos and Vincent Deniard. Music by Arvo Pärt.

FEUX ROUGES wastes no time in making a mundane premise look odd and even unsettling. Its stunning opening theme by Claude Debussy and a few shots of futuristic high-rises put you on notice that something unusual – and indeed remarkable – is in the offing. Hélène didn’t see it coming but minor annoyances have irritated her hubby. The ensuing spat gets ugly as quarrels often do… but to see it become a chilling, small-scale thriller is a feat we can only attribute to Georges Simenon, the novelist behind the famous Maigret series, and director Cédric Kahn, who expertly adapted his story for the big screen.

There are few characters in FEUX ROUGES and, frankly, there was no need for more. Jean-Pierre Darroussin does a bang-up job as Antoine, a basically agreeable fellow who blows a fuse and allows himself to vent his pent-up emotions (for reasons I shan’t disclose). In this regard, the movie’s story-line makes excellent use of the humongous traffic jams that clog up the French capital every year at vacation time. Carole Bouquet, as usual, doesn’t content herself with playing a pretty face; her Hélène is a strong, intelligent woman who won’t stand for churlishness. Whether together or apart, these two actors deserve your undivided attention.

Polished dialogues, a competent supporting cast and a cunning screenplay will do the rest. Technicals don’t disappoint either, cinematography especially. My only concern about FEUX ROUGES − and a legitimate one since thrillers sometimes veer off atrociously after a solid start − was its staying power. For the record, let’s just say that Kahn’s film grips the pavement like trusty Michelins and that, no matter how finicky you are about plot lines, you will be fully satisfied with what you see. Some elements of the story may be left unexplained but you’ll find answers for every twist and turn.

I won’t say more and, honestly, I don’t need to. Don’t miss FEUX ROUGES, a superb little feature about the fickleness of human nature, life’s many surprises and a very unusual case of road rage. And if one day you find yourself in a car with a driver who’s hot under the collar, don’t argue.


MBiS

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