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The Cry of the Owl (1987 film)

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Wikipedia article




'The Cry of the Owl' (Original: 'Le cri du hibou') is a 1987 French-Italian psychological thriller film, adapted from the 1962 novel 'The Cry of the Owl' by Patricia Highsmith. The film was directed by Claude Chabrol and stars Christophe Malavoy, Mathilda May and Virginie Thvenet.

Divorced illustrator Robert spies on a young woman named Juliette whom he envies for her seemingly happy life. When they finally meet and Juliette leaves her fianc Patrick for Robert, the situation quickly escalates.

Plot



Parisian illustrator Robert becomes obsessed with a young woman, Juliette. Night after night, Robert sneaks around the house to catch a glimpse of Juliette, until one day he finally gathers the courage to introduce himself. Juliette realizes that she is not happy with her fianc, Patrick, and leaves him to be with Robert. Robert in turn is not happy with Juliette's obtrusive advances.

One night, Patrick attacks Robert in a deserted area; Robert defends himself and knocks Patrick unconscious, leaving him on the shores of a nearby river. The next day, Robert is interrogated by the police. Patrick is missing, and suddenly Robert is the prime suspect. Nobody knows that Patrick has allied with Robert's bitter ex-wife, Vronique, to take revenge on Robert; he is hiding from the police in order to make them think Robert killed him. Robert's professional and private life falls apart after becoming a police suspect. The situation escalates when Juliette commits suicide, and Patrick launches a vendetta against Robert. In a final confrontation between the men, Vronique is accidentally killed, and although Patrick is defeated, Robert is again left as a suspect in an apparent crime scene.

Cast



* Christophe Malavoy as Robert

* Mathilda May as Juliette

* Jacques Penot as Patrick

* Jean-Pierre Kalfon as Police commissioner

* Virginie Thvenet as Vronique

* Patrice Kerbrat as Marcello

* Jean-Claude Lecas as Jacques

* Agns Denfle as Suzie

* Victor Garrivier as Doctor

* Jacques Brunet as Father

* Charles Millot as Director

* Yvette Petit as Neighbor

* Dominique Zardi as Neighbor

* Henri Attal as Cop

* Albert Dray as Cop

* Nadine Hoffmann as Josette

* Grard Croce as Cop

* Isabelle Charraix as Mme Tessier

* Laurent Picaudon as Boy

* Christian Bouvier as Matre d'htel

* Gilles Dreu as M. Tessier

Release



The film premiered on October 28, 1987 in France. It was featured at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 1987.[http://www.cinemaeye.com/index/movienews/more/and_the_film_festival_goes_on/ Cinema Eye: And the film festival goes on......] It made its US premiere on October 16, 1991 in New York City. Although released on VHS in many countries, the American DVD is the only available digital release for the home media market at present (2011).

Reception



'The Los Angeles Times' called it "top-drawer Chabrol", and "a gratifying entertainment of leisurely elegance--and delicious nastiness." 'IndieWire' said it was "classic Chabrol: slow, deliberate, gorgeously scored", and added: "there are shades of Fritz Lang here, as well as Chabrols late-60s efforts." 'TV Guide' remarked that "Chabrol seems just plain too jovially bourgeois to whip himself up to the state of moral implacability that characterizes Hitchcock's utter control of the medium. But, in its own way, 'The Cry of the Owl' is just as unforgettable."

Awards and nominations



*'Csar Awards' (France)

**'Won': Most Promising Actress (Mathilda May)

**Nominated: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Jean-Pierre Kalfon)

Other adaptations



Also in 1987, German writer-director Tom Toelle directed an adaption for German television titled 'Der Schrei der Eule'.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093928/ 'The Cry of the Owl' (Germany 1987)] at the Internet Movie Database.

A third film adaptation written and directed by Jamie Thraves and starring Julia Stiles and Paddy Considine was released in 2009.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034302/ 'The Cry of the Owl' (2009)] at the Internet Movie Database.

References




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