2019 Cannes Critics’ Panel: Day 10 – Arnaud Desplechin’s Oh Mercy!

After La sentinelle (1992), My Sex Life… or How I Got Into an Argument (1996), Esther Kahn (2000), A Christmas Tale (2008), Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013), and almost coming with a double title of Oh Mercy! (Roubaix, une lumière in French), this is Arnaud Desplechin‘s sixth trip to the competition and in all his eleventh feature film. Starring Roschdy Zem, Léa Seydoux and Sara Forestier, this is a departure for the filmmaker in terms of genre and tells the Xmas tale of Roubaix the city — and Daoud, the local police chief, and Louis, a fresh recruit, are confronted with the violent murder of an elderly woman. The neighbours of the victim, two young women, Claude and Marie, are arrested.

Somewhat early Hitchock and certainly detective film (not really noir) in spirit, Desplechin goes for something new with this project which is tonally very different from anything he has made in the past.

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