The Origin of Evil
Sébastien Marnier's comic psychological thriller belongs to a tradition of French cinema.
This film from the French writer/director Sébastien Marnier – his fourth feature but the first that has come my way – is an example of a subtitled work that without any pretensions seeks to entertain. The genre to which it belongs is the thriller, a category which allows for a range of approaches with the result that personal taste may well play a part when it comes to responses. Some critics have seen here an echo of the films of Claude Chabrol and it is probably fair to think of The Origin of Evil as being the kind of psychological thriller exemplified by Chabrol’s 1995 Ruth Rendell adaptation (entitled La Cérémonie it was based on her novel A Judgment in Stone).
That comparison is evidence enough that Marnier’s film offers nothing especially of the moment but that is no drawback for those who appreciate this kind of storytelling. What we have here is a tale which by chance carries a distant echo of a recent film that did seem very contemporary in tone, Saltburn. Here as there we are dealing with a central figure – in this case a young woman played by Laure Calamy – who inveigles her way into a rich household, this one headed by the aged businessman Serge Dumontet (Jacques Weber). His wife, the imperious Louise (Dominique Blanc), and their daughter George (Doria Tillier) are taken aback by this visitor of whom they know nothing although she claims to be Serge Dumontet's illegitimate child by one of his many mistresses. It is quickly apparent that Louise and George see themselves as heirs who would not be put out if Serge were to die and from the outset the audience is encouraged to question the motives of this newcomer. We have seen that she is poor and working in a fish plant and, while she claims to want no more than to meet the father whom she has never known, we wonder what her real motives are. Indeed, we may well even question whether or not her claim to be Serge's daughter is authentic or fabricated.
To put my cards on the table, I prefer thrillers in the style of, say, Knives Out (2019). There may be deaths in The Origin of Evil but they come late in the day and Marnier seeks to give us a stylish, twisty narrative in the hope of providing surprises rather than a film of excitement. Lasting just over two hours, his film is unhurried and certainly gains from being well acted. Calamy herself is an outstanding actress as the French discovered from her appearances in the long-running French series of Call My Agent! and as many cinemagoers also realised when Full Time was released outside of France in 2023 and put her screen central. In The Origin of Evil, she again confirms her skills by maintaining the enigmatic aspects of her role while simultaneously suggesting the emotional needs that drive this woman.
What limits my enthusiasm for this kind of material is the fact that, while it features a narrative that is psychologically based, the plot can all too readily become melodramatic and improbable in its determination to spring a whole series of surprises. Like Calamy, Suzanne Clément in a key supporting role seeks to play it for real but is to some extent undermined by how the piece is written and something similar applies to Jacques Weber as Serge Dumontet. It is easy to see others as being on a safer wicket: Véronique Ruggla as a housekeeper with a touch of Mrs Danvers, Doria Tillier as the assertive George and especially Dominique Blanc who as Louise delights us by letting out her inner Bette Davis. This latter aspect may have been encouraged by the fact that Maunier is gay and he does include lesbian elements in The Origin of Evil even if the only gay male character is referenced without putting in an appearance.
There are good production values here and Marnier has opted for the wide screen, a fact that may be linked to the odd way in which he makes unconventional use of split screen images from time to time. In any case the real pleasure in The Origin of Evil lies in the performances, but those who warm more readily than I do to this kind of entertainment will certainly find it engaging even if it is hardly memorable. At least it is all of a piece which is more than could be said for Saltburn.
Original title: L’origine du mal.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Cast: Laure Calamy, Doria Tillier, Dominique Blanc, Jacques Weber, Suzanne Clément, Céleste Brunnquell, Véronique Ruggla, Clotilde Mollet, Naidra Ayadi, Johanna Tamar, Maria Pinto Bonito.
Dir Sébastien Marnier, Pro Caroline Bonmarchand, Screenplay Sébastien Marnier and Fanny Burdino, Ph Romain Carcanade, Pro Des Damien Rondeau, Ed Jean-Baptiste Beaudoin and Valentin Féron, Costumes Marité Coutard.
Avenue B Productions/micro-scope/Poison Productions/Canal+/Ciné+/Téléfilm Canada-Blue Finch Film Releasing.
123 mins. France/Canada. 2022. US Rel: 22 September 2023. UK Rel: 29 March 2024. Cert. 15.