The Girl Cut in Two (15)

Friday 22 May 2009 00:00 BST

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Not a James Ellroy pulp murder mystery, as the title suggests, but the sedate story of a love triangle set among the Parisian haute bourgeoisie.

Ludivine Sagnier plays a TV weathergirl who provokes a storm of rivalrous amour in a renowned (and married) author (François Berléand) and a spoilt pharmaceutical heir (Benoît Magimel). Sagnier is pert and pretty enough, though why she flips over either man is mysterious – or perhaps not so in the case of Berléand, whose sixtysomething roué is more beguiling to director Claude Chabrol (b. 1930) than he is to us. The cult of ageing virility is not dead. One keeps hoping that some of that sinister Chabrolian wit will enliven the film's smooth surface, but alas, it never does.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Thank you for registering

The Girl Cut in Two (15)

Join our commenting forum

Thank you for registering