The great cinema of Daniel Auteuil
Holder of a very rich filmography as an actor, crowned by numerous prestigious awards, Daniel Auteuil had not until now achieved such success with his productions. After three adaptations of Marcel Pagnol’s work (The Well Digger’s Daughter, Mario AND Fanny) and an adaptation of a play by Florian Zeller (In love with my wife), here he is at the cinema with a original workdramatic, dark and very successful: The thread.
The thread having been developed and produced in three years, Daniel Auteuil could not have known the genre of the test film Made in France would have a fantastic year 2023 with Anatomy of a Fall AND The Goldman Trial. Belonging to another generation and another cinema compared to those of Justine Triet and Cédric Kahn, the ambition then appears almost reckless in proposing the story of a trial for femicide and its disturbing defendant, defended by a lawyer convinced of her innocence.
Terrible portraits of our society
In The threadCriminal lawyer Jean Monier (Daniel Auteuil) has not dealt with a murder case and the acquittal of one of his clients for several years, who is guilty and will reoffend. But the case of Nicolas Milik (Grégory Gadebois), the main suspect in the murder of his wife Cécile, intrigues him and touches him. Quickly replacing his partner in the first custody of Nicolas Milik, he decides to defend him. In doing so, he will rediscover his vocation and the meaning of his profession, flirting dangerously with procedural flaws. A seemingly simple and childish man, not far from the simpleton, Nicolas Milik does not seem guilty to him. But not entirely innocent either. Jean Monier will therefore explore this doubt, convinced that it is necessary to establish the truth about this terrible affair – inspired by a true story and a writing by the late Master Mo.
With sobriety, the writing and direction are committed to painting tight portraits of the different actors in the story. There is Nicolas Milik, who shouts his innocence and cries because he no longer sees his children. Also, his friend Roger (Gaëtan Roussel) with a disturbing profile, an alcoholic former soldier who likes knives and who is considered his accomplice in the proceedings. There is Audrey (Aurore Auteuil), Cécile’s sister, convinced of Nicolas’ guilt. There is of course Jean Monier himself, an experienced lawyer who paradoxically will intensify his sincere defense of Milik when everything indicates that he is guilty.
A captivating game of perspectives
captivating, The thread never indulges in the sensationalism or tricks that make up the courtroom spectacle. The thread tells of ordinary evil, the terrible banality of femicidein a dull provincial territory, far from the colorful and highly publicized experiments of the metropolises. Daniel Auteuil shows an admirable rigor: since the film begins the day after Cécile’s murder, we will never see or hear from her. It is only from the story told by others, in particular Nicolas, his lawyer Audrey and the attorney general Adèle (Alice Belaïdi), that the victim emerges.
It’s all a matter of points of view, opposing discourses and contrasting subjectivities. And it’s there The thread turns out to be surprisingly very relevant and visionary. Surprisingly, as Daniel Auteuil did not hide it, he wanted to tell the story of a lawyer and use the setting of a court. Lead actor in his legal thriller, it is precisely in his journey and his interpretation that the focus is The thread concentrates. But in doing so, immersed in the subjectivity of the lawyer, the film reveals itself to be extremely critical of masculinity, of the omnipotence claimed by men and of their unhealthy loyalty.
Ultimately, it’s not a question of why and how. this woman is deadbut why and how she was killed by a man. Like Xavier Legrand in The successorit is not the victim who drives the dramatic story, but rather the murderer and his “camp”. In other words, the explanation is not to be found in Cécile, described by the men as an unworthy, alcoholic and unbearable mother, but rather among themselves, these men who overwhelm her. And it is brilliant.
Men taken to the bar
Grégory Gadebois, in the register of the shy and awkward teddy bear of which he is a master, gives an ideal if not very original performance. The singer and actor Gaëtan Roussel is perfect, in the role of the terrifying Roger. And Daniel Auteuil, not surprisingly, excels in his role as a lawyer who is all too sure of the facts.
Not everything is completely finished and here and there some short stretches occur. But The thread fascinates, even captivates, for a period short enough that its audience never gets bored. And book one great endingplaying a regal counterpoint and a very bold cruelty. If it does not reach the heights of writingAnatomy of a Fall and the exceptional staging of The Goldman Trial, The thread nevertheless manages to reveal – perhaps partly unintentionally – a terrible unconsciousness of the male population on their dominion and their relationship with femicide. A painful coincidence of the calendar, in the midst of the Dominique Pélicot affair, The thread hits the heart and it couldn’t be more appropriate. Daniel Auteuil proves himself, this time and hopefully for the future, to be a very good filmmaker.
The thread by Daniel Auteuil, in theaters from September 11, 2024. Above is the trailer.
Source: Cine Serie
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