Home Page | Alphabetic Index | Ratings Index | Web Resources

Monsieur Hire (1989)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997
How far would you go for love, true love that is? Would you commit murder, assist a murder or hide a murder? Monsieur Hire asks this question and, in the process, uncovers aspects of character which are probably best left hidden. The title character, M.Hire (Michel Blanc), is a quiet, tidy man who runs a small tailoring business. He bothers no one and, in return, is persecuted by his neighbours for his aloofness -- they bang on his door, throw flour over him and whisper under their breath when he walks by. It's true that he seems indifferent to this abuse but this doesn't explain why he endures it. In fact the reason is simple -- Alice (Sandrine Bonnaire). Every night he returns home, cooks a boiled egg, puts on the same piece of music and stands at his window, staring across the alley and into Alice's apartment. She is a young woman and the attraction seems obvious but, somehow, this is more than simple voyeurism.

Initially Alice is unaware of the observation. M.Hire watches her eat, dress, sleep, read and make love to her fiancé Emile (Luc Thuillier). Every aspect of her life is open to him and yet his expression never changes, everything just washes over him - until one evening. A thunderstorm is fracturing the sky overhead and, in a flash of lightning, Alice glimpses this ghostly face staring at her. So does she call the police? No, instead of being afraid Alice is curious enough to purposefully bump into M.Hire the next day, right outside his apartment. From this point on there is a tacit agreement between them, a relationship which runs parallel to that of Alice and Emile. In time, they grow to understand themselves and appreciate why the other is attracted to them.

Perhaps, at this point, I should mention the sub-plot that acts as a secondary theme to the relationship - a murder, of another young woman, has been committed. As a short, well-dressed man was seen running from the scene M.Hire is a prime suspect with the Police Inspector (Andre Wilms). To look at him he doesn't appear much like the typical killer but then isn't that always the case? Nevertheless the dominant theme is the interaction between Alice and M.Hire -- what does she really think about him, what does he think that she feels for him and what do they really want from this arrangement? In breath-takingly subtle moves the fine strands of their motivations are teased into the light, revealing the fear and hope that underlies love.

Many films are subtle in the way they explore their characters, delicately revealing individual layers of their psyche. However, Monsieur Hire is a shining example of this technique - M.Hire and Alice hardly speak to each other, rarely move and, at a glance, seem cold and indifferent. Instead communication relies on vision and scent; he is almost translucent (both in body and spirit) but as soon as Alice arrives there is a splash of colour, life and lingering odour. The cinematography produces a perfect atmosphere -- shots focus on one figure then slowly track to another angle, revealing an aspect which places new spin on the scene - which acts to enhance the mood of hidden undercurrents. Together with extremely fine acting, the result is an extraordinary and touching movie of obsession, tragedy and devotion.

Home Page | Alphabetic Index | Ratings Index | Web Resources