Review Movies: The Girl Cut in Two | Claude Chabrol | Ludivine Sagnier and François Berléand | Charles Saint Denis | French countryside | love affair | adulterer

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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with DAN CARRIER
Published:21 May 2009

Ludivine Sagnier and François Berléand in The Girl Cut In Two

Novelist has a stormy affair with weather girl

THE GIRL CUT IN TWO
Directed by Claude Chabrol
Certificate 18

NOVELIST Charles Saint-Denis seems to have it all.
He is very much in love with his wonderful wife, has best-sellers stacked up behind him, owns a tasty house in the French countryside and a lovely flat in town.
His friends love him, his public think he is a genius, and even going grey brings happiness – he looks very much the sophisticated man of letters.
But things go wrong when he meets the lovely Gabrielle Snow (Ludivine Sagnier), a TV weather girl, as he is doing an interview to promote his latest tome.
Later he catches another glance at her at a book launch bash. He quickly falls for her, setting in motion a tricky multi-person love affair that leads to tragedy.
Things do not go smoothly for our adulterer. He has a challenger for Snow’s affection – the ultra-rich, wonderfully spoilt and dandily dressed Paul Gaudons (Benoit Magimel). He hates everything Saint-Denis stands for and begins to pursue Gabrielle too.
At times it can be slightly cringing. Saint-Denis’s (François Berléand) infatuation is hard to fathom – this is a man who proclaims in one breath his loyalty and love for his wife, yet in another seems to be so out of control of his physical urges that he simply must make love to his mistress. Her reaction to it is also at times incomprehensible. She states that she loves her older man, yet allows herself to be woo’d by Paul, despite his constantly atrocious behaviour.
Yet there are some bizarre twists which help chivvy the story along, such as the quirky uncle who is a magician and provides her with a means to escape.
Chabrol based the story on a famous crime of passion: the murder of architect Stanford White (who built Madison Square Garden). He was killed by the husband of his mistress, who could not stand the thought his wife had slept with another.
While Paul’s own behaviour is tragic, he is portrayed as someone who we should have little sympathy for – and ultimately this means we can have no sympathy for any of the leading characters.

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