Monsieur Hire
| Monsieur Hire | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Patrice Leconte |
| Produced by |
Philippe Carcassonne René Cleitman |
| Screenplay by | Patrice Leconte |
| Based on |
the novel Les Fiançailles de M. Hire by Georges Simenon |
| Starring |
Michel Blanc Sandrine Bonnaire |
| Cinematography | Denis Lenoir |
| Edited by | Joëlle Hache |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Monsieur Hire (French pronunciation: [məsjø iʁ]) is a 1989 French film directed by Patrice Leconte and starring Michel Blanc in the title role and Sandrine Bonnaire as the object of Hire's affection. The film received numerous accolades as well as a glowing review from the American film critic Roger Ebert,[1] who later added the film to his list of "Great Movies."[2] The screenplay of the film is based on the novel Les Fiançailles de M. Hire by Georges Simenon and has original music by Michael Nyman. It is a remake of Julien Duvivier's 1947 film Panique with Michel Simon.
The film was entered in the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.[3] It won the award for Best Foreign Film at the 27th Guldbagge Awards.[4]
Plot
Monsieur Hire, a misanthropic and voyeuristic tailor, spies on his gorgeous neighbour Alice from across the street. The development of their relationship takes place against the backdrop of another plot, the unsolved murder of a local young woman. Monsieur Hire is hounded by a detective investigating the murder and is also eventually noticed by Alice. Hire propositions Alice to ditch her boyfriend Emile and run off with him to his little home in Switzerland, where he promises to take care of her.
Cast
- Michel Blanc - Monsieur Hire
- Sandrine Bonnaire - Alice
- Luc Thuillier - Emile
- André Wilms - Inspector
- Eric Bérenger
- Marielle Berthon
- Philippe Dormoy
- Marie Gaydu
- Michel Morano
- Nora Noël
- Cristiana Réali
- Bernard Soufflet
- André Bauduin
- Rozeen Landrevie
- Jacques Violeur
Reception
Monsieur Hire was one of the last films to have been added by film critic Roger Ebert to his Great Movies section, with Ebert calling Leconte "one of the most versatile of French directors."[5] Review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes also reports 100% approval for the film among 13 critics, with an average rating of 8.1/10.[6]
References
- ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Monsieur Hire". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ↑ Ebert, Roger. "Monsieur Hire (Great Movie)". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Monsieur Hire". Festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ↑ "Monsieur Hire (1989)". The Swedish Film Database. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- ↑ Ebert, Roger (December 21, 2012). "Monsieur Hire Movie Review & Film Summary (1989)". Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Monsieur Hire (1989)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 18, 2016.