MURDER PARTY

France, 2022, 103 minutes, Colour.

Alice Pol, Eddy Mitchell, Miou-Miou, Pablo Pauly, Gustave Kervern, Sarah Stern, Pascal Arbillot, Zabou Breitman.

Directed by Nicolas Pleskof.

For those who are played board games, who have enjoyed Cluedo, playing him, watching on television, in film. This is that kind of film.O Sole Mio.

It would be a mistake, of course, to look at this story in realistic terms. It is actually the visualising of a board game, the characters ciphers, representing attitudes, odd behaviours.

We are introduced to a rather sullen architect, Jeanne (Alice Pol) who is designing a reconstruction of the interiors of the mansion owned by a tycoon who has been, with his family, the producer of boardgames for decades. She is introduced to the owner, his wife and little boy, his sister who is a co-manager, his daughter who seems to have mental problems, his very cheery son, an eccentric butler.

The tycoon does not seem to be pleased with the architect’s plan and before she is quite aware of it, she becomes involved in living out a special game. And, of course, there are some deaths. There are games within games, threats of deaths to those who refuse to participate, bizarre activities, some dangerous, which would also lead to deaths. Everybody participates, even the little boy.

However, the architect is curious, even though she is trapped in the game and does not understand why – and starts investigating under the house, corridors and basement.

So, the audience spends quite a bit of the time trying to work out whodunit! But, the solution is not at all what we might have been expecting (even though there have been references to Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark).

In fact, the solution takes us off at something of a tangent but is meant to be a solution that will give the architect a new lease of life.

Just as the board game is a pastime for the players, so Murder Party is a pastime movie for its audience.

1. The title, expectations, the nature of the party, the murder and murders, solutions? Games?
2. Audiences accepting the artificiality of the story, the introduction to Jeanne and her mother, the architect, building the model of the house, Jeanne driving to the appointment, anxious, in the bus, the other people on the bus, at the stop, Theo not there to meet her, his arriving, whisking her away?
3. The situation, references to Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, the isolated house, the strange characters, the setup for a murder game?
4. The family, the making of games, Jeanne and her plan for developing the house for games? Cesar, creating the games, over many years, the posters, the range of games? Theo as son, heir, carefree attitude, treatment of Jeanne? His sister, erratic mental behaviour? Josephine, relationship Cesar, partner in the company? The little boy and his presence? Armand, Butler, eccentric behaviour?
5. The nature of the game, the locked house, the different rooms, the voice over the speaker, the playing of games, the threat that those not as participating would die, the games and the timing?
6. Cesar, manner, style, Empire, his death? Testing whether he had died or not? His wife, her influence, writing detective stories, participation in the games? Her death? The bodies laid in state?
7. The nature of the games, the threats, shooting the arrows? The revelation of clues? Jeanne and her following the clues, searching the house, the basement? Theo and his help, the attraction? The further games, the quizzes and the colours?
8. Jeanne, following the clues, searching the basement, the discovery of the truth, the experts and the setup, Cesar and his wife, Jeanne’s mother?
9. The revelation about the game, therapy games, testing it out on Jeanne? Her change of attitude, collaboration with Theo?
10. The last game, giving the wrong answers, the wrong colours, the various participants having to perform, change the scenario, get advice from Cesar? Jeanne, the gun, shooting Theo?
11. The revelation of the truth, the effect of the game on Jeanne, the possibility of this kind of therapeutic game and scenario? Jeanne and her mother? The liberated Jeanne and her going off with Theo?