by Blair Rinn
Daily Lobo
Spring is all around with the twittering of birds, the unfurling of blossoms and the caress of the warm sun. It's only natural that the "Flower of Evil" would sprout up at the Madstone Theater.
Indeed, there is some spring-like play in "La Fleur du Mal," but it is mostly foul. This dramatic tale explores the perverse aspects of humanity.
The plot revolves around several generations of the affluent Charpin-Vasseurs family. This upper-middle class clan has put down their roots in the Bordeaux region of France. At first glance, they appear quite normal, but this faáade quickly dissolves.
First introduction is to Francois, who has just returned from a four-year sojourn to the states.
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His pharmacist father, Gerard, picks him up at the airport and updates his long absent son on family affairs. Much to Gerard's chagrin, Anne, Francois' stepmother is in the midst of a campaign to be mayor.
The father and son go immediately to the family estate where viewers become acquainted with more of their kin. Michele, the drop-dead gorgeous step sister and first cousin of Francois has been pining away for her, uhh, brother. This is the first mention of a series of incestuous relationships within the Charpin-Vasseurs group. Perhaps to gain insight into her dysfunctional family, Michele studies psychology at the university.
Shortly after the meal, the family is rattled by an anonymous leaflet. What are politics without a bit of mudslinging and slander anyway? The pamphlet catalogues the family's sordid misdeeds of incest, murder and infidelity. The attacks are directed not only at the living but at their progenitors. The flier suggests their family is the very den of iniquity, rife with Nazi collaborators, mayhem and other seedy acts.
The letter is distributed to Anne's constituents, and she must proceed to campaign with a tarnished reputation. Is this politics as usual, or does the letter of defamation contain words of truth?
The film's brawn comes from the richly developed characters whose motives and intentions are brought to light. The nuanced acting is so superb that at times you feel like you are intruding into the family's private business.
The misconduct of elite French society is no departure for the veteran writer/director Claude Chabrol. The 83-year-old filmmaker has been inclined to use this segment of the population in his works. Chabrol is credited for more than 50 feature films. These include "Madame Bovary," "The Cry of the Owl," "La Ceremonie" and 2000s "Merci Pour Le Chocolate."
It's likely these titles sound foreign because his films seldom hit U.S. movie screens. He did, however, co-write the high profile movie "Unfaithful," which starred Diane Lang and Richard Gere. His signature psychological thriller style has brought comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang.
His most recent work, "Fleur du Mal," has earned him accolades and further recognition.
"Fleur du Mal" had some notable deficits that could turn a viewer off. Chabrol had no intention of creating a roll-on-the-floor comedy but tries to give the audience a few opportunities to chuckle. These fail to elicit any laughter. There is also a bleak quality throughout the story due to the implication that the family is cursed for eternity.
"The Flower of Evil" borrows its name from 19th century poet, Charles Baudelaire's volume of poems. The film conveys the sense that some sinister acts can blossom from good human qualities like love and loyalty, and reaffirms the notion that people are never exclusively wicked or noble.
