ABUSE OF WEAKNESS /
Abus de faiblesse
West Coast Premiere• Drama • France, 2014
DCP • Scope 2.35 • Dolby 5.1 • Color • 104 min
Directed by: Catherine Breillat
Written by: Catherine Breillat
Cinematography by: Alain Marcoen
Film Editing by: Pascal Chavance
Original Score by: Didier Lockwood
Produced by: Jean-François Lepetit (Flach Films)
Coproduced by: Arte France Cinéma, Iris Films, CB Films
Cast: Isabelle Huppert (Maud Schoenberg), Kool Shen (Vilko Piran), Laurence Ursino (Andy), Christophe Sermet (Ezzé), Ronald Leclercq (Gino).
International Sales: Rezo Film • rezofilms.com
U.S. Distributor: Strand Releasing • strandreleasing.com
In this starkly unsentimental autobiographical story, filmmaker Catherine Breillat recounts the real-life events that led to her getting taken for nearly a million dollars by the notorious con man Christophe Rocancourt. Isabelle Huppert plays Maude, a noted filmmaker who suffers a sudden stroke. After a partial recovery restores limited use of the affected side of her body, the willful, domineering Maude throws herself into preparations for her next film. Chancing upon an interview with the crudely charismatic Vilko, an infamous ex-con who served time for bilking millions from a who’s who list of high-society marks, Maude knows he’s the perfect lead for her film. The opportunistic Vilko, played by rapper Kool Shen, not only wants the role, he wants to spend a lot of time getting to know the director. He even has a great book idea that he can get going if she’s willing to write him a check. Despite her obvious vulnerabilities, Maude somehow convinces herself that she is holding the reins of their relationship, even as the “loans” begin to mount.
Known for her controversial deconstructions of gender politics played out in the sexual arena, writer/director Catherine Breillat is one of the most uncompromising filmmakers in France. Breillat caused international furor with her dark, high-minded Romance (1999), a daringly graphic take on a young woman seeking sexual fulfillment in sado-masochism with porn star Rocco Siffredi in the male lead. Fat Girl (2001), a shockingly explicit story of a young girl’s sexual awakening caused more commotion still. Her reputation as a provocatrice firmly established, Breillat turned the tables with The Last Mistress (2007), a restrained, traditional period adaptation that many called her best film to date. Breillat’s unconventional casting – frequently using unknowns and non-actors – led to her entanglement with Rocancourt. But she remains undeterred, having reportedly cast Kool Shen by googling “rappers.”
“An elegant and delicately conceived film, Breillat's Abuse of Weakness is commendable for eschewing the gritty intimacy and grainy nostalgia that normally veils the aesthetics of autobiographical experiments.”
- Patrick Gamble CINEVUE
“Few filmmakers have been so unforgivingly self-reflexive in their work, so willing to subvert cinematic elegance in service of ineffable realism.”
- Peter Debruge VARIETY
“Maud, played by Isabelle Huppert [who] is formidable in every scene and gesture.”
- Katrin Titze EYE FOR FILM
