jotix100 We are introduced to Bruno Davert as he is being recognized for his many years of service for a paper manufacturer. Little does Bruno know that soon he will be on the unemployment line because the company has decided to outsource the work to a Rumanian firm. Thus begins the story of a man's sudden descent into a crisis caused by the situation in most of the industrialized nations.Bruno devises a scheme to eliminate the possible competition that are looking for the same position he is after. For that purpose, he rents a mail box at the post office after he has placed a phony ad asking worthy candidates for the same position he covets. Bruno selects the five men and a manager that will have to be eliminated for his chances to be better. How he will go about it presents a problem: he wants to use an old pistol that belonged to his father in WWII.Life at home has begun to deteriorate. His loyal wife Marlene has taken part time jobs as a nurse in order to help in a household without steady income. Their married life also suffers because the strain Bruno is going through trying his hand as an assassin. Not content with that, the Daverts find out in the worse way their son has been stealing software programs and faces jail time if found out.Bruno goes through a killing spree eliminating the competitors. His resolve is almost shattered when he has a chance to meet with one of his would be victims that he has followed to a department store after setting up an interview he doesn't intend to keep with the man. In this unhappy man Bruno sees himself as in a mirror.As luck would have it, Bruno seems to get away with murder, but does he really? The last scene of the movie offers a puzzle that is left to the viewer to solve."Le Couperet", directed by Costa-Gavras, is a black comedy for our times. In it, we are taken to see first hand the indignities anyone has to face when corporations such as the one that employed Bruno Davert decide to take the business some place else, leaving the stranded employees to fend for themselves. The film is an adaptation of Donald Westlake's novel "The Ax". Mr. Westlake's books lend themselves for screen treatments such as the one Mr. Costa-Gavras has given the material. Some commentary to this forum suggests this movie to be a film noir, but to tell the truth, only the one sequence might fall on that category and nothing else. It's rather a black comedy of mystery and suspense in our humble opinion.The best thing in the film is Jose Garcia, an actor with a face that goes perfectly with his character. Mr. Garcia was a happy choice, as he never disappoints. Karin Viard appears as Marlene a wife at the end of her rope because her world is crashing on her. Ulrich Tukur and the excellent Oliver Gourmet are seen among the accomplished cast doing amazing work for the director."Le Couperet" is worth the prize of admission, or the DVD rental.

kouneva Loved it! Loved it! A terrific satire of the modern corporate downsizing which destroys a man's pride and then everything else. Better yet, this social satire is packaged as an absurd black comedy - serial killer story. A picture of the world we're living in. Don't take the killings too seriously. Obviously, they are a metaphor for the desperation of the man. It's a little bit like "Shock to the System" but I liked this one better. Whether you laugh at this movie today or not, tomorrow this will be the reality for most all of us when only endless service jobs will have remained. Or, flipping burgers. I highly recommend this socially conscious movie, as I applaud its director for the courage to make it. Bravo!

olivier h I saw this Costa-Gavras movie in a theater. During 2 hours, you follow a man who went crazy because, after his lay off he is not able to find another place as a chemist in the paper industry. Since he cannot think of doing another job, since every interview for a job ends with a meaningful "we'll call you", he decides that the only way to get back his job is "simply" to kill his competitors.My first impression was that the movie is too long and many scenes are in fact boring, and the story is not interesting enough or complex enough to make a movie by itself. The idea that, in our modern society, many people define themselves by their job (and not by what they achieve in other fields, their family life for instance), is probably an interesting theme. In his movie however, I cannot tell if the director Costa-Gavras opted for a comedy or a drama about a serial killer. Some scenes are somewhat funny, but they are too scarce. You mainly see the main character trying to get rid of potential rivals in various ways, and the whole is neither credible enough, nor burlesque enough, nor breathtaking enough. Maybe we'll get a better movie if you keep it short, concise and cut all the boring scenes.If you want a good drama which is also a good social satire from France, pick any of the Chabrol's. If you're for a good comedy with a corporate background, I would suggest "The Closet" ("Le placard") by Francis Weber.One good thing about "Le couperet" however, the acting is very good and allows the movie not to fall apart. (But I prefer José Garcia when he is directed in a more funny way).

luc-villevieille Bruno DAVERT (Jose Garcia) is locked-out for economic reasons. To find a new job, his method is simple : kill the other candidates. His behaviour changes, and his wife Marlène(Karin Viard) feels Bruno moving away from the family, from herself and from the true life.Costa-Gavras shows as the unemployment can make a man crazy.A perfect look on the stupidity of our society when a man is only the money he can earn. Costa-Gavras show us the vacuum we are running to, destroying everything to obtain what ?Probably the best political movie of the ten last years. Garcia is excellent, probably because he does not know he his good. K. Viard change her usual energy in distress, her performance is excellent. Everybody is good.Run to this movie. It shows you your future