Rien ne va plus (1997) Reviews

• Highly Entertaining Despite the Flaws

  claudio_carvalho2015-03-01

  The smalltime swindlers Elizabeth "Betty" (Isabelle Huppert) and Victor (Michel Serrault) make a living by cheating naive people. After swindling a salesman of garden tools in the French Riviera, Betty travels on vacation alone and schedule a next scheme in ten days in a congress for dentists in Sils Maria. However Betty arrives at the hotel with Maurice Biagini (François Cluzet), who is the treasurer of a company that is traveling cuffed to a wallet with five-million francs. She tells Victor that she has the intentions of stealing his money and Victor plots a scheme using the naivety of Maurice. But soon the con artists have to face the dangerous associates of Maurice. "Rien ne va plus" is a highly entertaining thriller by Claude Chabrol. I saw this movie for the first time in the late 90's and I liked it more than today. There are flaws along the story that I did not pay attention when I watched it long time ago. But if the viewer does not think too much, he or she will like the plot points in this film. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "Negócios à Parte" ("Business Aside")

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• As A Con Fan I Must Say

  jzappa2007-05-13

  It was refreshing seeing a con film again. As it is, it is quite light, and there is hardly anything I haven't seen in it, but does being pleased necessitate a constantly churning wheel of brand new things? It's a fun hour and forty-five minutes of standard con mechanics, and if you like con mechanics you will be delighted. There is a point where you will find yourself surprised as the tone the film suddenly takes and controls well. Another thing it controls well is its handling of its twists, for there are always twists and mentioning their mere presence is like mentioning Spider-Man's presence in Spider-Man 3. The twists are interesting in that they feel predictable or that they're taking the simple way out, but that is never for certain. Michael Serrault is the film's great highlight. He is tremendously likable and infectiously dry, and his occasional physical timing or subtly crisp one-liner holds the film's smiling side at bay amidst some token moments of comic relief, namely the presence of the gaudy widow whom Serrault constantly must try to hide from. And of course Huppert, as the film's real star, is truly perfect as a con woman, a 100% confident seductress, the fleshed out realization of the practically imagined version of a con woman. She does not stand out nor is she below par, even if she is upstaged a wee bit by Serrault, because she even characterizes her character's elusive quality.

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• An interesting and restrained thriller

  DeeNine-22006-12-21

  Although Betty (Isabelle Huppert, who was 43-years-old when the film was released) calls Victor (Michel Serrault, who was 69) "Papa" on occasion in this smooth and restrained thriller from Claude Chabrol, he is not her father by any means. The term is merely one of ironic affection. What they are are modern "gypsies" living on the fringes of society plying their ancient trade. Perhaps they were lovers in the past. Clearly they are a team, dependent upon one another. In particular what these small time con artists do is go to conventions, medical, dental, farm equipment salesman conventions, find a target and con the poor dupe out of some of his money. Some. The film begins at a roulette table on the French Riviera with Betty stringing along a not entirely bright lawnmower salesman whom she invites for a drink. She slips some knockout drops into his drink and quickly invites him up to his room where, after he is out cold, Victor follows. They take some of his money. Victor insists on always playing it safe and using a rather strange but plausible psychology (which will figure later in the movie) of making the man think that perhaps he wasn't robbed, since if she had intended to rob him, would she have only taken part of the money out of his wallet? They do forge his signature on a check, but he will only find out about that later, and indeed might not be sure about how that happened. So this is a small time con. Trouble begins for our vagabond thieves when Betty meets the CFO of a big corporation who is transferring five million Swiss francs in cash out of the country. She senses the chance for a big score, and after the mark falls in love with her (she thinks) she brings Victor into the scheme. With some tricky exchanges of the metal suitcase containing the money Betty and Victor end up over their heads in some very hot water. The plot is a little on the unlikely side, as thriller plots tend to be, but the thing to keep in mind is the idea of taking only PART of the money. This is what fools the bad bad guys (as opposed to the good bad guys who are our vagabond duo, Betty and Victor). Any movie starring the incomparable Isabelle Huppert (La Pianiste 2001; Merci pour le chocolat 2000; La dentelliere 1977, and many more ) is worth seeing and any movie directed by Claude Chabrol (Une affair de femmes 1988; Betty 1992; La ceremonie 1995, etc.) will have something of interest in it. Add a fine performance by Serrault, one of the great veterans of the French cinema, and "Rien ne va plus" is definitely worth seeing. However the role played by Huppert does not challenge her and Chabrol's more famous films (some of them also starring Huppert) are decidedly more interesting. But see this for the lighthearted chemistry between Huppert who is sublimely fetching and Serrault who is clearly past the age of any pretension. Such a quasi-Platonic union based on the love that still warms the embers in a dying fire has become almost a staple of directors past their prime. See Claude Sautet's Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud (1995) which also featured Serrault for another example. (Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

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• Fun! What's the problem?

  philipdavies2002-08-14

  Most comments on this confection of a film are so impatient and ill-tempered, I just had to write! This is light comedy for grown-ups and provides a perfectly delightful interlude. What's wrong with intelligent light entertainment? For goodness' sake, it's a bit of fun! Perhaps the problem is that 'fun' today too often equates with the industrial pleasures of the theme-park. And the children, who like their fun noisy and physical, never can appreciate the pleasures of adults. Where there is civilized conversation, the kiddies only see a lot of boring grown-ups doing boring grown-up things. This Peter Pan syndrome afflicts increasing numbers of the population. And it's not charming - it's downright worrying. One would almost think the influential arbiters of culture actually intended to arrest the development of the individual at this level of immaturity. But that, of course, would be a supposition beyond the scope of these Web pages to entertain. My main purpose in writing was to encourage those with more developed tastes to see this picture. It is witty, attractive, amusing and utterly delightful - just like the two leads in their many and varied roles!

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• Chabrol, Huppert and Serrault concoct a sophisticated, amusing and satisfying con game

  Terrell-42008-05-31

  It's hard not to like clever con games, even when they're violent (The Usual Suspects) or unpleasant (House of Games). They're just about irresistible when they're amusing and surprising (Nine Queens). That we're part of who is being conned is a major part of the pleasure. Claude Chabrol's The Swindle (Rien ne va Plus) isn't especially violent (well, there's the matter of a spike in a man's eye, but he's dead when we see him), but The Swindle is definitely sophisticated, amusing and very clever. Two of the reasons it works so well and is so satisfying are the lead players, Isabelle Huppert as Betty and Michel Serrault as Victor. Who are these two? Betty is in her forties, elegant, cool and smart. Victor is in his early seventies, shrewd and clever. They are small-time con artists who work the conventions and upscale gambling houses. Victor sets up the scams and Betty seduces the mark, but only to the point of slipping a mickey into a drink. When the mark passes out in his room, Betty lets Victor in and they take the money...but only enough to make the mark believe later that he may not actually have been robbed. Then off they drive in their big, fully equipped RV back to Paris. We observe all this, during the first third of the film, with growing delight in their humor, their logic and their professionalism. Are they lovers? Are they related...perhaps father and daughter? Are they old friends? Are they just affectionate partners? Because of the chemistry between the two characters and between Huppert and Serrault, we're never quite sure. "Betty, you know I love you, but I can live without you," Victor says at one point. We instantly like these two, although we'd better be sure where our wallet is if we go out with them some evening. They know their limits and they're careful with their business. But then we notice that Betty may have a plan of her own. When the two meet at Sils Maria, near St. Tropez, to work a dentists' convention, Betty has already developed a relationship with a good-looking, self-assured man who, she tells Victor, is a courier who will be delivering $5 million Swiss francs. He could be the biggest con they've ever attempted...but Betty seems to be working both sides. Victor is showing signs of jealousy. And the man in question is actually a courier for the mob who is planning to leave France with all that money for himself, with Betty on his arm. Who is scamming whom? This three-way puzzle gets complicated. Chabrol shows us all this with such cool, sophisticated humor that it becomes a great pleasure just to sit back and watch Victor and Betty -- and Chabrol, who also wrote the screenplay -- move the pieces around the board. Huppert and Serrault are such fine actors, and work so well together, that their relationship as Betty and Victor becomes a very satisfying and intriguing part of the story. Victor knows they are stepping out of their league, but he loves a challenge...and he has been good enough to get the better of anyone he considers stupid. We hope that will includes a vicious mob boss and his thugs. Still, as Victor says, "It's easy to swindle someone who thinks they have the upper hand." The movie ends as it began, with a charming little scam, this time involving just Victor and Betty. May they have a long life together taking advantage of all those foolish marks.

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