Alicia
I love this movie so much
Doomtomylo
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Mabel Munoz
Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
Alan P
Usually Chabrol takes a while before his thrillers become "thrilling." But in "The Bridesmaid," the tension starts pretty early on. Even before the title character shows her cards, her personality alone makes the movie riveting.The plot of the movie is somewhat unrealistic, but the actors really manage to make it believable. The characters played by Laura Smet, Benoit Magimel, and Aurore Clement all have weird quirks (to say the least) that could have easily fallen flat, but it's to their credit that they all managed to make these odd characters sympathetic and believable.Most reviews name this movie a "lesser" Chabrol, and he's made so many movies that it would have been easy to overlook.I'm glad it was one of his only streaming movies on Netflix, otherwise I probably wouldn't have discovered it. It will only be streaming for a few more days, so catch it while you can!
kenjha
At his sister's wedding, a young man falls for a bridesmaid who harbors some weird ideas and may have a disturbing past. Chabrol is regarded as the French Hitchcock, and this film has some parallels with "Strangers on a Train," but it's not as taut and suspenseful as that classic. Chabrol here seems to be more interested in character development and relationships than in the plot. In fact, between a slow beginning and an unsatisfying ending, what little plot there is is rather predictable. However, it manages to be engaging despite these shortcomings. The pacing is leisurely but not boring. It has a good cast.
jotix100
Ruth Rendell's novel "The Bridesmaid" is the basis for this French film directed by Claude Chabrol. The director had a huge success adapting another Rendell's book, "A Judgment in Stone" that became the hit "La Ceremonie". Ms. Rendell stories always have a central flawed character, as is the case with Senta, a strange young woman.The story begins as Sophie and her sister Patricia are watching a news program on television, a sensational crime is in the headlines. Their single mother, Christine, works as a hairdresser from her modest, but comfortable home. Philippe, who is the other member of this family does not approve of the man his mother is seeing. To make matters worse, Christine's intentions of involve keeping Gerard Courtois, who clearly has no intention of marrying her.As the wedding approaches, a bridesmaid is needed to complete the party, the groom suggest a cousin, Stephanie, a strange young woman who has named herself Senta, after the heroine of the Wagner opera, The Flying Dutchman. At the party that follows the wedding, Senta meets Philippe, who finds her intriguing. Their relationship will have fatal consequences because of Senta's strange behavior and possessiveness.We had a vivid recollection of the novel, which we enjoyed tremendously. The adaptation of Mr. Chabrol and his collaborator Pierre Leccia, while following the story line of the novel turns out to be not as involving than the written page, although the director gets the essence of the book.Benoit Maginel, a young French actor had worked with Mr. Chabrol prior to this film, and went to star in 'La fille coupee en deux", does well as Philippe, the young man that falls hopelessly in love with a deranged woman. Laura Smet plays Senta, the woman who drives Philippe crazy. Aurore Clement appears as Christine, the mother. Michel Duchaussoy has a brief role as the vagrant that annoys Senta.Eduardo Serra, the cinematographer, keeps the dark atmosphere of the novel in check with the gray skies of Nantes and locations around Loire-Atlantique to great effect. The soundtrack is by the director's own son Matthieu. Even though this is not one of the best films by Mr. Chabrol, it must be viewed by all his fans.
Mort-31
This movie did not particularly convince me. Maybe my expectations went in a completely wrong direction but nevertheless I discovered some flaws that really disturbed my pleasure of this basically interesting film.The plot line grows more and more absurd and - in its absurdity - predictable as the story goes on. This would not matter to me (as I do not really mind that we are never given an explanation for the strange and questionable features that strike us right from the beginning, especially in connection with Senta and the bust) if the characters were a little more subtly portrayed. All of the characters (Magimel's at the least) are exaggerated and near-hysterical, and therefore close to various type clichés (the rebelling teen daughter stealing, colouring her hair AND piercing her nose; the bridegroom, who is revealed as an idiot the instant we see him, calling his bride embarrassing terms of endearment; the mother smiling hopefully throughout as if she was on drugs). I am sure all this is not due to bad acting but done so intentionally. But I fail to understand what kind of quality it is supposed to add to the film. Humour? I don't know; I laughed occasionally but not very often.This is the kind of film that I am sure is fun making; but then it should not be shown publicly.